


Once I was seven years old

by madamoiselle_sica



Category: RWBY
Genre: Chapter 10 TW, Chapter 11 minor references to sexual behavior, Chapter 12 TW Minor death of minor/side character (OC), Chapter 13 minor references to deceased person, Chapter 9 TW, Clovember, Clovember2020, Grief/Mourning, Ice Swimming, Implied Injuries, Implied Sexual Content, LGBTQ club, Minor discussion of injury, Multi, Showing off and making a mistake, Student Council, Suicidal Thoughts, Vytle festival, Vytle festival tournament, cursing, dating men, entering Atlas Academy, fair game starts chpt 22, he will be alright but it will take some time, hopelessness and betrayal, learning about passive semblances, mentions of manipulation, past suicide attempt referenced, polar bear club, recognition of being gay, referenced attempted suicide, resurrection with no description, sparing, subtle hints at Vol 7 chpt 12
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:53:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 34,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27344611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madamoiselle_sica/pseuds/madamoiselle_sica
Summary: Clovember 202030 drabbles of random stuff from my brain that sort of tells a story.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Comments: 53
Kudos: 22





	1. 15 Sleeveless

**Author's Note:**

> I love relating stories to songs and this one fit this one pretty close but not perfect. 
> 
> 7 years old by Lucas Graham.
> 
> Once I was seven years old my momma told me  
> Go make yourself some friends or you'll be lonely  
> Once I was seven years old
> 
> It was a big big world, but we thought we were bigger  
> Pushing each other to the limits, we were learning quicker  
> By eleven smoking herb and drinking burning liquor  
> Never rich so we were out to make that steady figure
> 
> Once I was eleven years old my daddy told me  
> Go get yourself a wife or you'll be lonely  
> Once I was eleven years old
> 
> I always had that dream like my daddy before me  
> So I started writing songs, I started writing stories  
> Something about that glory just always seemed to bore me  
> 'Cause only those I really love will ever really know me
> 
> Once I was twenty years old, my story got told  
> Before the morning sun, when life was lonely  
> Once I was twenty years old
> 
> I only see my goals, I don't believe in failure  
> 'Cause I know the smallest voices, they can make it major  
> I got my boys with me at least those in favor  
> And if we don't meet before I leave, I hope I'll see you later
> 
> Once I was twenty years old, my story got told  
> I was writing 'bout everything, I saw before me  
> Once I was twenty years old
> 
> Soon we'll be thirty years old, our songs have been sold  
> We've traveled around the world and we're still roaming  
> Soon we'll be thirty years old
> 
> I'm still learning about life  
> My woman brought children for me  
> So I can sing them all my songs  
> And I can tell them stories  
> Most of my boys are with me  
> Some are still out seeking glory  
> And some I had to leave behind  
> My brother I'm still sorry
> 
> Soon I'll be sixty years old, my daddy got sixty-one  
> Remember life and then your life becomes a better one  
> I made a man so happy when I wrote a letter once  
> I hope my children come and visit, once or twice a month
> 
> Soon I'll be sixty years old, will I think the world is cold  
> Or will I have a lot of children who can warm me  
> Soon I'll be sixty years old
> 
> Soon I'll be sixty years old, will I think the world is cold  
> Or will I have a lot of children who can warm me  
> Soon I'll be sixty years old
> 
> Once I was seven years old, my momma told me  
> Go make yourself some friends or you'll be lonely  
> Once I was seven years old
> 
> Once I was seven years old

Clover was typically a decent kid. Despite some hardships regarding his deceased parents and how he came to be living with his aunt and uncle in Argus for the past two years, after living with his grandmother back in Mantle for a year. She was unable to take care of him and admittedly as much as he loved her, he spent more time taking care of her. So it was decided that she would move into an assisted living community and he would move to Argus to be with his Aunt and Uncle. They had their kids, his cousins, who were substantially younger than him. He had no interest in being a burden but as much as he felt like he wanted to belong to this family, it was more important to fit in at school.

A few of his classmates were all taking bets as to who would join the polar bear club this year, as it was a tradition in Argus that a number of the locals participated in. His aunt and uncle were not part of this tradition but a number of his classmates and their families were looking forward to the event.

Clover had no idea what it was, but was not about to back down from a challenge. So after convincing his aunt and uncle to let him attend, he got one of his friends' parents to give him a ride to and from the event.

Once he got there, he knew he was in trouble. As he watched one of the adults strip down to their underwear or bathing suits and start jumping into the water. His aunt had asked him if he was going to bring his bathing suit and since Clover was still not sure what he was getting into, he just told her yes and packed it and a towel, just in case. Now he knew why.

So his friend directed him to the changing rooms, which were freezing but that was to be expected and apparently to help prepare your body for the shock. He left his shoes on but took off his socks, as he heard a few others talking about how it was important to have dry socks afterwards but it was not a good idea to go barefoot in most cases. 

They head over to the wooden platform that extends 60 feet out into the bay surrounding this portion of the beach. Due to the location of this bay, there were few waves. As he followed his friend he quickly saw most of his classmates, most of them with their dry towels wrapped around them. Even though it was cold, it wasn’t as cold as Mantle, so he was able to leave the towel in his bag with his dry clothes. 

Soon it was his classes turn to make the plunge. The goal was to be in the water for five minutes before you got out. Many would get in but get out before the end of the time. Despite being hesitant at first, he felt like it was better to get this over with than to let it linger, so he dove in head first, resurfacing a few seconds later, shivering like most of the others in the water but looked up to find most of his classmates staring at him with in shock. 

Someone finally stated that he wasn’t supposed to dive in but then they all jumped in soon after, with two chickening out. Clover’s timer had started sooner than the rest but he stayed in the water with his whole class, and as they slowly gave up on the five minute mark, it was down to him and one girl who was a bit of a loner in their class. 

As the five minute timer went off, they both got out of the water and he congratulated her, and she returned the sentiment. He grabbed his towel and dried off as much as he could. Turned out that when he jumped in, he made quite the splash and it got his bag wet, so the sleeves of his shirt were soaking wet, as was part of his towel and his socks. 

His friend told him it was important to warm up his core, so Clover impulsively tore off the wet sleeves and put on his shirt. He continued to dry himself off as he waited for his certificate showing that he had completed all five minutes. After he dried off a bit he went back to the changing rooms to switch clothes. As he warmed up he realized that he didn’t really need his coat and the coldest part on him was his feet, while the warmest was his arms. 

Despite not wearing sleeves, he wasn’t really cold. He showed off his certificate to his classmates and chose not to rub it in everyone else’s face just telling them to try again or suggesting that maybe that they could do it next year. He was asked for a picture with the girl who also completed the five minutes, for which he gladly agreed to. She too was wearing a sleeveless tank top. So he asked her about it and she told him that she was from Mantle, so this cold was nothing compared to how cold it usually gets there. He appreciated her for sharing and her honesty. 

Shortly after he was on the way home with his friend enjoying the liberating feeling the cold water had brought him and the recognition and notoriety that he received as well. This was something that he could get used to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This seemed silly at first, but then seemed like something he would have easily done to try and fit in. 
> 
> I HC all of that stuff about Clover's past, it is NOT canon. Just my personal speculation.


	2. 16 Leadership

Student council elections are coming up and Clover, despite enjoying his growing popularity, has no interest in being elected for his looks. He participates in a few clubs, volunteers at the docks and helps his aunt and uncle whenever they ask. 

He was sitting in the auditorium listening to the candidates for student council share their vision of the school and debate each other regarding why they were the best candidate for their position. He was rather bored as they had started with the general council seats and then worked their way up through secretary, treasurer and vice president, which had just ended. 

His friends were really looking forward to the presidential debate since two of the most popular people were running and none of them knew who they liked better. As the debate started, it began to spiral into a very intellectual version of my horse is bigger than yours and normally Clover would never have considered interrupting but he couldn’t help himself. He stood up and yelled.

“This is not what a student council president should be doing. Neither of you care about us. All you care about is yourselves and who’s more popular. Student council is not about you. It’s about everyone else in this school. All of whom you should be putting before yourself when making decisions that affect us. You should be ashamed of yourselves.”

Everyone just stared at him, from the candidates on the stage, to the moderator, to the entire student body. Then the applause started. At first, he didn’t realize what was happening. Then he realized that nearly everyone was smiling and clapping still. He was comfortable with most of the attention that he had received so far but this was too much. He pushed past a few people sitting next to him to get to the aisle and made a beeline to the door.

After he made it out the door of the auditorium, he barely got two steps before he leaned against the wall and sunk to the floor, head in his hands. He was going to get into sooooo much trouble. He didn’t need to be bothering his aunt and uncle. They were busy enough. 

So he just sat there, waiting for the other shoe to drop. But none came. No one came out to check on him right away. Eventually he was able to peel himself off the floor and slowly open the door to the auditorium and stand in the back corner, where very few could see him. He wasn’t really listening but just didn’t want to stand out in the hallway where he might get into more trouble for not being where he was supposed to be.

A teacher walked towards the door and stopped when they saw him in the corner. She walked over to him and whispered.

“Are you okay?’

He just nodded his head, not sure if his voice would fail him or not. She patted him on the shoulder and then headed back to her spot.

Soon after, the assembly ended and his friends found him and shared how amazing it was that he did that. They also told him how what he said transformed the rest of the debate and how they each had to defend themselves from what he stated and make their plans for the school sound better.

The election was two days later and quite a few of the members had to defend their plans and what was said against what Clover had stated. Little did he know, but his speech was still in the minds of many of his classmates.

On the day after the election, they announced the winners during morning announcements. Much to Clover’s surprise, he was elected student council president by an overwhelming majority, all from write-ins on the ballot. He was completely surprised and disbelieving of what he was being told. 

All of the newly elected council members were to report to the counselors office, so that they could have their schedules adjusted to accommodate a class period for the council to meet. He was still in shock as he mindlessly headed there, certain it was a mistake. But the teacher representative showed him the data and there was no mistake. 

At first he wanted to abdicate and let the second place person take the post, but when he remembered who the two candidates were, he just shook his head and how ridiculous both of them had been. As the rest of the council assembled in the office, suddenly the rest of the council was applauding him and thanking him for putting the other two in their place. 

He was shocked and awed by this warm welcome, having no experience and never had an interest in the council. It was explained to him that both of them had been in various positions on the council but had mostly done it for themselves and their resume and future applications. The phrase ‘plagued’ was used when referring to them and how challenging they had made it to actually accomplish projects. 

And with that, Clover graciously accepted the position of high school student council president. The first leadership role he had ever had that he didn’t even ask for.


	3. 17 Color

Clover had been excited by his acceptance to Atlas academy. He had been looking forward to being on his own. And since he was recruited, his aunt and uncle didn’t have to pay for him to attend. He also suspected that being born in Atlas has more to do with it but no one bothered to explain the specifics to him. Regardless, he wouldn’t have to rely on others to take care of him. He would be able to take care of himself.

He arrived and was escorted to a room to drop off his limited belongings that he was permitted to bring, not that he had much to bring in the first place. He was then escorted with others that had arrived at the same time to orientation. Followed by initiation where he was expected to spar with the other new recruits and if they were good enough, with some of the upperclassmen. 

He was only a little surprised as he had been told that his fighting ability would be evaluated so that he could be placed on a team that would integrate with his skills and abilities and help him reach his full potential.

He was fortunate enough to make it to a round where he fought an upperclassman and won the match. However, they asked him the same thing that everyone wanted to know: What’s your semblance? For which he had to respond by telling them that he didn’t know.

After they worked out the teams, they introduced everyone at dinner and had them seated together, followed by assigning them to a dorm room that they would share with their new teammates. 

As Clover looked around the halls and the room, something felt off and he couldn’t place it at first. He watched as his classmates began to unpack their belongings, and they offered him the top bunk. One of his teammates hung up a poster with their favorite music group, from Vale and that was when it hit him. The biggest thing that bothered him about this place was the lack of color. It was all so dull, with shades of gray, white and a little bit of dark blue. 

As much as the tower of Atlas Academy was the symbol for this school and gray was its signature color, he didn’t expect to see it everywhere, expecting that a people who lived in a land of white, primarily surrounded by snow, would want to add tons of other colors to the scenery. This was clearly not the case.

Despite the regular use of names that were various shades of colors, there was little to no color used elsewhere at the school. The occasional yellow or red used for alerts or warnings. He was going to miss seeing the different shades of orange and yellow when the leaves turned. As well as the vast amount of greens from the forest and exquisite blue from the various shades of the bay. 

He was very happy that at least one of his teammates seemed to have a strong preference for color. He would have to go shopping for an indoor plant to help spruce up the place as well. 

Despite the drab color, he was happy that he had been named team leader and with a variety of people from Mantle, Vale and Atlas. Based on how boisterous most of them were, they were sure to add a bit of color to his life.


	4. 18 Sea

It was Clover’s second year at Atlas Academy and the Vytle Festival was happening this year. Clover’s team was one of many to represent Atlas and as was the expectation, they were expected to outperform the other students and schools. Despite being one of three second year teams, some commented that they were even better than the teams from the third and fourth year class.

Clover had learned to handle the attention, both deserved and undeserved, as student council president. But the attention that this was going to bring was going to be global and even he couldn’t hide all of his nerves.

After the first round, his team was the only second year team to make it to the doubles round. Both first year, one of the third year and one of the fourth year teams were also eliminated, leaving seven Atlas teams left for the doubles round.

The doubles rounds were fairly easy to prepare for, as they knew in advance who they were up against and easily picked who they were sending to counter their opponent. And despite not knowing his semblance yet, Clover was selected to participate due to his skill and his unusual weapon. His teammate was a girl from Atlas that was chosen, in his mind more because of where she was from than because of her school. The male faunas on their team would have likely been the better choice, but he was not overly confident in himself, especially in front of a crowd and didn’t want the attention, so he voted against himself and with his other two teammates. While Clover insisted that he was an excellent fighter and had almost convinced him that he would be the better choice, the girl stepped in and reminded him how embarrassed he and his family would be when he failed. Sadly that was all it took to sway his confidence. 

It was rather sad that this group that he had lived with for more than a year was sometimes more competitive among themselves versus working together more. Clover was fairly certain that if he had not been leader that their cooperation and teamwork would have taken a serious hit and likely they would have been split up and reassigned to new teams. Sometimes, he wished he would have let that happen.

So after training a bit longer with his teammate, they take the stage for the doubles round, in front of a sea of onlookers. They followed their strategy and very quickly, he took out one of the other team members, while she kept the other guy busy. Then they took down the other together and in almost record time.

After the doubles round, they had to decide who was going to the finals round. And he would have preferred to go but also knew that she was likely to insist that she go to the finals round. He was right but his other two teammates voted that he should go despite her argument that none of them were from Atlas and that it should be her to represent them and the city. None of them were surprised by her insistence but her argument cast more doubt on her ability to work together in the future than anything else.

As the singles rounds progressed, Clover was called third and won after a challenging battle with a Haven student who was fast and hit hard. The sea of fans and critics all focused on him and his sparring partner. Clover was able to get a few key shots and was able to use their ability against them and knock them out of the ring.

He made it to the third round of singles, where there were just people left. One of them was a fourth year from Atlas, one from Shade and one from Beacon. So at this point it looked like Atlas was a pretty good bet on winning. However, it was not that simple as the student from Shade, a reptilian faunas, had a surprise attack in store for the Atlas fourth year. A stunning saliva that if he could pierce your skin with his weapon, which was coated in his saliva, your chances of being paralyzed for a short time was fairly high. This was exactly what he did to the Atlas student, pushing her out of the ring.

So he was guaranteed to be in the last matchup of the night. With Clover up against the Beacon student. At this point he was getting a bit nervous. And after hearing about the Shade student’s ability, it seemed more and more like both Clover and his opponent were not looking forward to that potential fight. As they made their way onto the floor, quietly whispered to him that he refused to fight the Shade student but didn’t want to have to forfeit, so he told Clover how to take advantage of his weaknesses and Clover decided not to disappoint. He let the match draw on a little bit to make it mildly believable that he figured out to defeat his opponent. 

Then it was down to the last match. They were both given a thirty minute reprieve so that they could recharge their aura just a little bit and prepare for the match. Two of his teammates came down to share some of their observations about the faunas he was about to face, to try to give him a leg up in this next fight. In some ways he was ecstatic that they were happy to assist for the team but a part of him just wanted to let the other student win. He thanked them for their notes and stuck them in the back of his mind. He was still not sure what he was going to do.

As he walked out to the arena, the wave of sound that hit him. He pushed it aside as he made his way to the center platform. Then the crowd started to chat his name and he lost his focus as he looked out toward the crowd. The sea of hands, the clapping in tempo. It then became a call and response with the other crowd who supported their student from Shade. 

The energy of the audience is so intense after the call and response has ended. The crowd literally starts to look like the sea with the way the water moves in unpredictable waves and the colors blend together. He is in awe just looking at it, almost like looking at a odd colored version of the bay back in Argus. He is so entranced by the flow and ebb of this unusual sea that one of the officials has to come over and make sure that he is okay and guide him to the fighting platform.

As he walks to the platform, he decides that he does want this, despite the other student’s advantage. He is going to do everything that he can to avoid being cut or scratched so that he can win.

The buzzer goes off. Clove and the Shade student run towards each other for the fight of their lives...


	5. 19 Masks

Some masks are fun to wear. For holiday parties, costume events, and theatre. But some masks are not so fun to wear. Like the ones you put on each day to get through a job that you hate. Or perhaps the one that you wear to hide who you really are.

Clover was one of these people. He had worn a mask most of his teenage life once he realized that he was gay. The realization happened slowly but once he recognized that he had a sudden urge to kiss one of his guys friends, there was no denying it. The awareness was surprising and eye opening. But as he got older, it got harder and harder to hide how he really felt. He wanted to find love like everyone else, just not with a girl.

Despite his concern with disappointing his family, he did find another who felt the way that he did. Sebastian, a boy who also worked on the docks in Argus, surprised him one day with a kiss on the cheek. So by chance, Clover followed up by asking him about his perceptions about different types of love. And as luck would have it, Sebastian was also gay and Clover’s first kiss. 

What started out as an easy, fun and convenient relationship turned sour when Sebastian turned out to be very controlling and demanding in some ways. So Clover ended the relationship, shortly before leaving for Atlas. 

Before Sebastian, he dated girls off and on while in Argus. He then continued this practice while in Atlas. But the last girl he had dated called him out on his bs. She shared with him that she was bisexual and that despite the clout that the city of Atlas held, down in Mantle, things were much simpler. She invited him and demanded that he go to a club with her, for which he reluctantly agreed to go.

Now here he was standing at the bar surrounded by primarily gay couples. Once his ‘not girlfriend’ found someone to dance with, she suggested that they do this every week and wished him luck. He just laughed, as he tried to find a way to come to grips with feeling comfortable about being so open regarding his sexualality. It wasn’t like he could hide it in a club like this.

Soon after he thought this, the bartender plopped a drink in front of him, an offer from another man at the other end of the bar. Clover was not a drinker, considering he wasn’t of age, but the idea that the cute guy had bought him a drink just made him feel accepted and wanted in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time. What luck. He graciously took a sip and liked the drink immediately. A moment later the cute guy was standing next to him and introducing himself. 

And after what felt like decades, Clover was able to openly flirt with another man and didn’t have to pretend or hide what he felt. He could just be himself. No mask required.


	6. 20 Work/Play

Clover was someone who now knew how to work and play hard. Despite learning how to balance his school, training and personal time, Clover found that playing was just as beneficial to his help as sleeping.

After going to the club last year, he continued to go back and even branched out to other clubs and bars. He happened to be in the right place at the right time when he learned of a high class club, secret to most, and catering mostly to those who were like him. He attended occasionally but even he couldn't afford to go often.

He had been dating three different guys for the past few months and he was struggling to decide which one he wanted to focus on. He had not slept with any of them or any of the other men that he had dated since he was introduced to the club. After his experience with Sebastian, he wanted to know that there was more than just lust before driving in. 

So he went out alone again to one of the clubs he had not frequented. And while dancing along, he soon found a dance partner unexpectedly that caught him by surprise because usually he found others not the other way around. This man checked all of his boxes. Tall, dark and handsome was not just a cliché for him, it was his definitive type. And while he left with the man, he made it abundantly clear that he would like to see him again but would not be going too far too fast. This clearly made the older man seem disappointed but understanding. 

The rest of the week he spent thinking about this new man. It was very clear at this point that he was not really happy with his other relationships. So he quickly ended them as continuing to date them was selfish. He could only hope that this new mystery man was as into him as Clover was him.

Then there was the work. Despite working diligently for years to unlock his semblance, he still had not determined what it was.

While training one afternoon, Clover was working really hard and laser focused on trying to find his semblance again. Pushing himself to see if it would just happen or maybe he needed to be completely exhausted for it to happen. Then after making a few successful but risky moves, he heard applause. He turned to find Professor Ironwood had been watching him for a bit. His professor shared how impressive his abilities were and how amazing it was that he made those last risky moves. Most people could not have pulled it off.

Clover thanks him for his praise but explains that he is training to try and unlock his semblance. Professor Ironwood then shares that perhaps he already has and asks if he has heard of passive semblances. Clover had not, as no one in the academy had a passive semblance. And when he had looked up ways to unlock his semblance there was no mention of passive semblances either.

Professor Ironwood then shared his own struggle to discover his own semblance, mettle, which was passive. Clover was shocked. He had heard a few students in the past talk about the professor's semblance like it was something special but this was not what he was expecting. 

Professor Ironwood asked Clover if he had had any major life events that happened since he was young and Clover almost gasped, as he shared that his parents had died when he was 11. Then he tells him the thing that he always wanted to hear: that he may have already unlocked his semblance and just didn’t know it. Ironwood suggested that he look into passive semblances and that he ask his friends and family what they recall most about him and the things that happened around him. All of this could help lead to discover a possible unlocked semblance.

Clover had never been so happy to research semblances since all of his prior attempts had failed miserably. Maybe, just maybe, with some help he could figure out what his was and how to use it more readily in fights.


	7. 21 Uncertainty

Finally, after all of these years of struggling to unlock his semblance. He had finally figured out that he had unlocked it years earlier but just didn’t notice since it was passive. 

After his discussion with Professor Ironwood last year, he dove into the research. Despite the limited information on the topic, he was able to figure out some of the general information that showed how a large number of semblances were unlocked due to traumatic experiences.

So he worked with a few members of his team, classmates and the few friends that he had made at the academy to try and figure it out. The research had a list of passive semblances that had previously been determined, focused on them and was able to eliminate more than half of the list fairly quickly. He continued to whittle down the list by attempting to do or affect things in certain ways, and force the ability to manifest, which was not easy and in many ways reckless. But he was so determined that a number of potential visits to the med bay would be worth it but rarely did they end up there.

So one day when they were just playing cards after having eliminated another passive semblance off the list, when after playing for nearly an hour and one of them commented on Clover winning more often than anyone else.

“Well aren’t you just Mr. Lucky today.”

Clover was actually shuffling when he froze mid shuffle. “Wait. That’s it.” He jumps up and tosses the cards onto the table, where they land neatly.

They all look at him questioningly and one of them asks, “What are you talking about?” 

He just can’t stop grinning like a goof ball. “Luck. I think that is my semblance.”

One of the girls begins questioning. “I find that hard to believe considering that you didn’t exactly have a happy upbringing.”

One of the guys. “Well hold up there. Clover, you stated that the big traumatic event in your life was when your parents died. So we have been working to test each of these ideas based on the fact that they began after that. Can you go through your memories and see if luck was possibly involved in more than half of the things that happened to you?”

And Clover did just that. Him being happy to live with grandmother then being moved to live with his aunt and uncle. Then he covered the student council incident and generally mentioned his dating record, but not getting into specifics. As well as his Vytal festival win over the student from Shade, which should have been nearly impossible. 

Most of them were convinced regarding the student council and the Vytal festival. But they decided to try it with the cards. They would set up the cards to make sure that Clover didn’t know what he was getting but they made it a poor hand and then watched him use his semblance to get a good hand over and over again.

The next day they used probability to try and set up several different scenarios to see how it would affect those things. What they noticed was that as Clover got more exhausted the less his luck seemed to be working. Which tracked with other traditional semblances. So once they determined that this was in fact his semblance.

But now there was uncertainty, as he and his team had no idea how to control it or train it and there wasn’t much evidence in the research about that either. He had gone from uncertain about what his semblance was to knowing it. That was a step in the right direction. But all of that didn’t matter at the moment. He was just happy that he knew about his semblance and that it had a name: Good Luck.


	8. 22 Optimism

As excited and optimistic he had been, now he was just irritated. He knew what his semblance was but no way to control it. Once he discovered it and his superiors in the military tested him, they agreed that his semblance was luck. Then it was added to his public military record. And that's when it all went to hell.

It started small and grew over time, where he would get calls and messages on his scroll about 'opportunities' to do good for the people and request for interviews and invites to clubs, particularly those that had gambling. He got mean comments about his status within the military as he had progressed faster than most during the past two years all because of his luck.

How did he go from a basic huntsman to fraud is the course of weeks? Why did everyone want him to use him for his luck? He wasn't even able to intentionally use it. On occasion, it backfired as his luck would affect others and he would experience the fall out. This surprised him, as most of his experiences his luck focused on him more often.

And that last one was something that was happening more often, usually to a teammate or someone he was working with helping them land a critical hit or avoid being hit. But then the worst thing that could happen that he did not ever think was possible occurred. 

He was out on a mission to clear out a grimm nest that was causing trouble for one section of the walls of Mantle. Everything was going great, they had cleared out a majority of the nest and were planning to regroup before going deeper into the cavern. Suddenly a large grimm pushed through the rock and ice and with it came five Sabyre grimm, which caught everyone by surprise. Of the team of eight that had been assigned to this mission, three were injured and one severely. 

The other five quickly made their way to take out the grimm and Clover was more determined than ever to get rid of these grimm that had caused so much pain for his teammates. Despite his low aura, he pushed himself to fight back. As he makes an attack on one grimm, taking it out, he swings out Kingfisher’s hook and something happens that never happened before. He accidentally catches one of his teammates with the hook and pulls them towards him and right in front of a Sabyre making an attack. 

Clover quickly uses every ounce of energy and strength he has to pull them out of harm's way and he is successful. But he leaves himself open to another Sabyre and he barely has the energy to attempt to block it, but he does but only just enough to prevent himself from being seriously injured, as the claws still slice through his uniform and skin, skipping over where Kingfisher was pushed up against his chest. The wound is not deep but it hurts like hell.

With the help of his four teammates, they manage to take out the grimm and then leave the scene quickly with the medical transports, as backup arrives to finish what they started. Clover gets treated last, as he refuses treatment until the rest of his team is in the clear. 

As he replays what happened during this mission, the more and more he begins to recognize that his luck semblance doesn’t just affect him. Maybe before he knew what it was, he was able to subconsciously control it, but then figuring it out made him more aware of it and now there seemed to be more to it than just its ability to affect him. Or maybe he was more aware of when it affected others besides him. It was almost like his luck had run out

After getting patched up and placed on medical leave with half of the team, he began to go back through his life to reevaluate what had happened to him and if he was only one who was lucky most of the time. And the longer that he looked the more he recalled of instances where others felt particularly lucky or more than normal. It then started to hit him that even though his semblance affected him more often, there were numerous times where it seemed to affect others around him as well.

And now he realized that it could affect his enemies, including the grimm. This incident made his ability to control his semblance that much more important. The idea that someone could be injured or possibly killed because of his semblance scared him more than he had ever felt in his life. He was rather happy that he was on medical leave for the next week while he recovered. 

He asked for a desk job and was assigned to train to be a special operative, the precursor to officer status, as he worked out how to control his semblance. He knew that there was little damage that would be done while staying out of the field and sticking to training rooms and the like. 

As he continued to try and figure out how to control his semblance, his fame for being a lucky man grew and it became strange to walk around in Atlas without people touching him like his luck would rub off on them just by touch. Like some luck charm. The stories being shared about how people had great things happen to them after being around him were not helping. 

The one benefit to this was, that as he continued to train his semblance, he found a few more passive semblance users. Almost all of them had different stories of what they did to learn to control it or shared that they had never learned to control it. 

And then his luck seemed to come back around. He had met by complete accident another passive semblance user who had helped him get out of a crowd of people all looking to get a chance to touch the famously lucky man. This woman, Jose, was a member of a prominent Atlas family who had a number of passive semblance users, all who had learned to control them. 

They invited him to their home for dinner and while there, they offered to help train him to control his semblance. They even offered him a place to stay after he shared his concerns about his appearances in public and how it had negatively affected his team in the field and in training more recently.

He submitted his request for a long term leave for the military and quickly moved in with this family who was giving him back his life, or so it felt. He was finally optimistic again after a year of disappointment and fear. It may take some time but he was finally going to learn to control his semblance.


	9. 23 Wink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNINGS: Suicidal thoughts; referenced attempted suicide; hopelessness and betrayal; he will be alright but it will take some time during next chapter; mention of losing virginity
> 
> 'Would Anyone Care' by Citizen Soldier  
> Would anyone notice...  
> If tonight, I disappeared?  
> Would anyone chase me...  
> And say the words that I need to hear?
> 
> That I'm no burden  
> Not so worthless  
> Bent so much that I might just break.  
> All-consuming  
> So confusing  
> The questions that keep me awake.
> 
> Would anyone care?  
> Would anyone cry?  
> If I finally stepped off of this ledge tonight?  
> Would anything change?  
> Would you all be just fine?  
> 'Cause I need a reason to not throw the fight...  
> It just might save my life!
> 
> Would anyone want me...  
> If they knew what was inside my head?  
> Would anyone see me...  
> For the person that I really am?
> 
> I won't lie  
> So hard to hide  
> I've never felt worthy of love.  
> I would give up  
> Everything I have  
> Just to feel good enough.
> 
> Would anyone care?  
> Would anyone cry?  
> If I finally stepped off of this ledge tonight?  
> Would anything change?  
> Would you all be just fine?  
> 'Cause I need a reason to not throw the fight...  
> It just might save my life!

He was laying in bed, wide awake. He was struggling. He was fidgeting. He was restless. 

And all he could think about was the helplessness of it all. 

He was lost and he didn’t want to live like this anymore.

He replayed, in his mind, everything that had led him to this predicament. 

It started last year, when he took a leave of absence from the military to begin training his semblance full time with the Astor family, a prominent family in Atlas. In the beginning it seemed to be going well. They were very helpful and supportive. After working with them for a time, he then began to wonder why he wasn’t making more progress and they assured him that this was normal for there to be ups and downs regarding his control of it. 

They demonstrated their own abilities with controlling laughter and reading people. It amazed him that there were abilities that could affect people in these ways. He had been made to laugh for no apparent reason, as well as had his feelings and thoughts stated outright to him. The later one scared him because that could be used for so many bad things, but from what he could tell, that was not the case. Controlling these abilities made their lives more manageable and more fulfilling. Neither wanted to be controlled by their semblance and he could relate.

Then as the months passed, there seemed to be a push for him to spend more time with others in the family, of which neither were trained to be hunters or fighters of any kind. At first it seemed logical as a way for him to practice his control. Then it seemed like the family was pushing for more, like a relationship, of which he had no interest in anyone in the family. But he tolerated it, as they were letting him stay with them and helping to train him.

He was allowed to do whatever he wanted and go wherever he pleased. He spent numerous evenings in Mantle at the clubs and bars where he had been invited. Luckily, his fame among the Atlas crowd had not transcended to Mantle, particularly at the places he frequented. Little victories and all. He even started trying to use his semblance while out to pick up guys. More for fun and practice than for anything more. 

But one time when he did this, he picked up a guy and it felt different. He was well aware that he liked winking at those he was interested in. But this time, the other man, Lucas, winked at him first. He continued to date him and as the weeks turned into months and Clover found comfort in this kindred soul, he decided to sleep with him. Losing his virginity was a big step that he had not had the courage to take but now seemed like the best thing to have happened to him.

It was wonderful and soft and caring. The relationship continued on and Clover could not have been happier. His semblance helped him find a great guy.

Then one fateful day his semblance or something was giving him a strange feeling and he couldn’t place it. He didn't know what was going to happen. But a sense of foreboding would not leave him. 

He was training to control his semblance again, trying to focus it on one thing in the room and not everything else, when he got a phone call from his boyfriend. So he took a break to talk to him. However, what he heard was clearly not intended for him.

He overheard Lucas talking to someone else, which was clearly not the norm when he called, so clearly this was a call made in error. But Clover listened and the longer he listened the more upset he got, as he heard Lucas talk about all of the great benefits of being with Clover has gotten him, especially after they slept together. 

Clover gasped. He couldn’t help himself. He was shocked to hear that Lucas would talk like this. Clover had talked about his semblance occasionally and how he was working to train it but never mentioned what it was, concerned that he would make a big deal about his luck. Clover had danced around what it was but avoided outright stating it. And now he was hearing Lucas discuss it outright with someone else. 

At the moment that he gasped, Lucas heard Clover’s voice and clearly noticed his scroll. Clover panicked and ended the call. Within minutes, Lucas called and Clover answered not sure what to expect. And when Lucas’s first comment, calmly stated was “So you heard all of that?” Clover actually thought that he was going to apologize. But Lucas followed up with a strange, almost sickening response. “I had to find out if all the stories about your luck were true.” And that was when Clover realized that Lucas was just as bad as all of those people in Atlas. He asked him not to call him anymore and hung up. He could not handle talking to him right now. 

He went back to the training room in the Astor family house but before he could even get there, he walked past a door that was slightly ajar, he overheard yet another conversation. This time it was with the mother and father of the household and the two who he had been training with. At first the conversation was considerate in asking about how Clover was ‘getting on’ as he liked to put it. Then they both asked different questions about how it was benefiting the family and how any potential relationship was going with the other members of the family. Slowly everything that he had ever feared was being laid bare in front of him. 

This family didn’t care about him, they cared about how it benefited them and they were plotting to make him a part of it so that they could “keep his luck in the family” as he overheard it. He would have been so pissed if he wasn’t already heart broken by what had just happened with his boyfriend. 

It happened so fast and over the course of four minutes, he learned that he was being used and betrayed by everyone around him. He wasn’t a person, he was a tool to all of them. Something to be coveted and cultivated for their own needs and desires. 

All he wanted was to be a normal person and yet, here he was. Lying in bed. Unable to sleep.

He got out of bed and wondered around the mansion aimlessly. It was yet another tool to be used. He managed to find his way to the rooftop, where he had spent many evenings enjoying the sunset and stars. 

But this time there was no enjoyment to be had. 

This time he wasn’t even sure why he was here. He just wanted all of the pain, frustration, anger, guilt, sadness, and every other emotion to stop. He was being bombarded by so many feelings that he was numb all at the same time.

As he slowly sauntered closer to the edge of the rooftop, he hopped up on the two foot ledge and just stared aimlessly at the sky. Tears welled in his eyes. As his brain wondered if he was worthy of happiness. 

He thought he was but no one and nothing in his life seemed to agree and he just wanted the thoughts and feelings to stop. He stared down at the ground, just four stories down. 

And he leaned forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry if this one was overly heavy and sad. FYI. He gets badly injured but survives. Someone helps him out of this mess, just wait until the next chapter.
> 
> I hope I did it justice, as suicide is a real and present issue for so many, including some of the best people who no one would ever suspect of being depressed or suicidal. As a trained teacher, who has had trainings regarding mental health and suicide, DO NOT be AFRAID to TALK about this with anyone. TALKING IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN BEING SILENT. 
> 
> There are resources everywhere and in many different forms. Stay informed and use them if you need to.  
> https://www.crisistextline.org/  
> https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/suicide-prevention/index.shtml  
> https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/  
> https://www.who.int/health-topics/suicide#tab=tab_1


	10. 24 Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minor warnings for discussion of past suicide attempt and being manipulated.

Clover sat at his computer, typing in his journal, as was required by his therapist. He had a session with her each week and he had to write down something positive that happened each day, as well as something that he accomplished each day. She encouraged him to write more and just get out whatever was in his mind at the time. Even if it was just how much he hated doing the journal, which he didn’t hate but did find annoying some days.

But today, all he seemed to want to do was write. 

His day had been really good. And with the help of a few others, he was able to gain some major perspective. He had been assigned to help rebuild and reinforce the wall in Mantle. This was a task that he felt confident that he would be the least likely to hurt someone and if his luck was with him, then the work might go faster or the wall would hold longer. And those were benefits that everyone agreed would be helpful.

Today was no exception but then there was a grimm attack while they were working and even though they had been assigned huntsmen to protect them, both had been caught off guard and one was knocked unconscious almost immediately and the other was overwhelmed. There were more huntsmen on the way but they needed help now. 

Despite all of his previous concerns about fighting, doing nothing was worse. With Kingfisher in hand, he began attacking the grimm but made sure to stay clear of the other huntress. He fought for what felt like hours but turned out to be 15 minutes. And by the time the reinforcements arrived, he had taken out most of the grim single handedly, as the huntress had been injured when she had gotten overwhelmed, shortly after he began his assault. 

The feeling was exhilarating and his muscle memory was perfect. He was a little out of breath but not too bad. Then heard footsteps, followed by applause. He looked behind him to see a bit of a crowd. What shocked him the most was that it came from his fellow workers, the reinforcement huntsmen and the people of Mantle. There were even a few cheers and the huntsman and the workers all gave him pats on the bat. Not a single one of them mentioned his semblance. The only comments he got were along the lines of “I didn’t know you could fight like that” and “where did you learn to do that” and “where did you get your weapon, I need one of those.” He was being appreciated for his abilities and who he was. He had been waiting for that forever it seemed and now he finally had it.

And all of this was thanks to one man. Lieutenant Colonel James Ironwood. His once professor was not on his way up the ranks of the Atlas military complex. He had been on an overnight shift when Clover attempted suicide and since Clover was military, even on extended leave, so he had been taken to a military hospital. His injuries were substantial but not life threatening. His aura had been near full, despite his training and mindset. He had landed with little resistance and he had little memory of the fall or landing. The doctors all told him that this was normal. The mind suppresses things that it doesn’t want to remember and that are detrimental to itself. The doctors told him that the memories may never come back. And he was more than happy not to remember that part of his night. 

But he had been required to stay in the hospital for a week on 24 hour observation. He was not opposed to it and was strangely happy to not be staying at the Astor mansion, almost like he felt relieved. Like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Then he thought back to what he heard the family discussing and wondered if maybe there was another passive semblance user in the home that he was unaware of. He had never felt so free as he did right now and it scared him to think what would have happened had he stayed.

Ironwood had come to visit with him after his immediate procedures to ensure his life to find out what had happened. Without meaning to, it came out of him like a storm surge. He didn’t really have many friends, having seen a number of them go in different fields outside the military and in some cases outside the kingdom. He had his aunt and uncle but they were plenty busy raising his cousins. And he had been so focused on trying to control his semblance that he had limited his personal life to the clubs and bars on the occasional night out. So when Ironwood presented himself as an old friend from the academy and not a military commander, he just let it all go.

He still couldn’t quite believe that he was telling him all of this personal stuff but Ironwood just took it in stride and showed true caring and concern. He really was just the caring professor that he remembered from the Academy. 

After Ironwood had left to let Clover get more treatments and rest, he had collected some documentation about the Astor family to learn that this was not the first time that they had attempted or succeeded in bringing someone with a preferable semblance into their lives. In fact, once Ironwood brought a case against them on behalf of Clover, some of the other family members shared that they didn’t want to be a part of the deception anymore. It was brought to light that the grandmother of the household had a passive semblance that was like a homing pigeon, anyone who stayed there for just a while would feel compelled to return. So it was no wonder that Clover felt better at the hospital after being removed from her influence. 

Ironwood made sure to only tell Clover what he wanted to know and he just wanted to know that no one was being held there against their wishes and even though what they were doing to try to expand their family and influence was not illegal, it was unethical and immoral. Once they found a way to limit the grandmother’s semblance, they released her and left the family to be but got anyone who wanted to leave out.

As much as Clover appreciated what Ironwood was doing for him, he expressed his concerns about going back to active duty regarding the incident from nearly two years ago. Ironwood then shared something that he didn’t tell many people. He too had a passive semblance. Clover had so many questions and without thinking he fired them off like an automatic weapon. Ironwood held up his hands to try to slow him down. Even he had not learned to control it all of the time. He was getting better at it over time and that was something that Clover needed to hear. He had hoped and assumed from what the Astor family had told him that it was a quick process but didn’t realize that quick was consistent training for a few years, versus occasional training over decades. 

But then he had to take anything that they had said to him with a grain of salt, as not everything stated to him was likely to be true but part of their manipulation.

Ironwood promised to help him with it, as long as Clover agreed to see a therapist weekly and end his extended leave promising to find him a position that would not put anyone in danger. 

And so it began his long journey to work with Ironwood and a few other passive semblance uses that Ironwood introduced him to along the way. The biggest thing that he learned was the need for something to focus his semblance and thus the recommendation to use luck based items. He received a horseshoe from Ironwood. He later found the rabbit’s foot that this mother had given to him years ago among his things when he moved back into the barracks. Seeing it brought back so many memories and knowing what it meant to him both personally and in terms of his semblance really made it all the more special to use to help him focus. 

So while starting off with these two items, he made progress in learning to focus and harness his semblance. It wasn’t perfect. Far from it. But it was a beginning. It was a place to start and in some ways a place to start over and begin anew. 

Ironwood had convinced him that working down in Mantle where the need was greatest was also the safest place for him and others that he would be working with. Building and repairing walls was not a challenging job but there was some nuance to it that made it interesting. And with his connections to the military, he could access resources that were not in high demand and get the projects done faster without a higher cost or drain to vital resources.

He finally finished writing the longest entry in his journal since he started therapy months ago. He was recovering in ways that he had not expected and it felt good. He was making a name for himself and it was all thanks to Ironwood and a little luck.


	11. 25 Nature

His life was starting to finally make sense, he worked his but off to get back into the habit of being a huntsman again. He worked so hard that some of his teammates started to worry that he was working too hard. Clover didn’t want to admit that he was burning the candle at both ends to a degree. 

His days began with going on missions with the team, most of them done by early evening. Then he would get dinner and then go to a weight room for a bit to really get back into shape. The last few years he had not been as focused on his physical aptitude and he felt like he had to work a lot to get back up to his standards. So he spent what he felt was hours needed lifting to get back what he lost. Such was the nature of things.

After he lifted for an hour, he would head to a training room and spar with the pre-programed fights in the system. Slowly working his way up to the expert level that he needed to get himself in tip top shape. He never wanted to be a drag on his team, now or in the future.

His evening activities didn’t go unnoticed and his team was at first very supportive and understanding. Once a week they even planned to meet up and train together coming up with new combo moves. They even began inviting others to spare against, verses just the pre programmed settings. But when they learned that he was training every day with the rare break when the missions ran long or there was a schedule change, they all began to worry, although he didn’t notice. His CO even approached him about taking some time off, away from Atlas and he didn’t catch on.

He didn’t really put it together until one of them stated their concerns outright regarding his excessive workout regime. He was surprised to then see them all nod in agreement. And his CO reminded him of her request for him to take some time off. So shortly after this exchange, he did just that and called his aunt and uncle to ask if he could come for a visit. They were ecstatic and were happy to hear from him again. He hadn’t really done a very good job of staying in touch so this was a good excuse as any to mend that fence.

Now he found himself back in Argus, the place he spent all of his teenage years, mostly deciding who he was. The place where he became student council president without meaning to. The place where he met his first boyfriend and had his first kiss. The place where he successfully joined the polar bear club. It all came rushing back to him all of his experiences and he couldn’t help but laugh at how truely lucky he was as things always seemed to work out, for the most part. 

His aunt, uncle and cousins greeted him warmly and couldn’t wait to show him around or spend time with him. He had always felt like a burden when they had taken him in and now it seemed that they were so proud of him and he didn’t understand how he had missed that when lived there. Was he always so focused on school and getting into Atlas Academy?

He asked his aunt about it, since his mother was her sister. She explained that since neither her or her husband were hunters and the kids didn’t seem to have any interest in being a huntsman, they didn’t really know how to help him. She also shared how it seemed that he was always one step ahead of her trying to help him, referring to him as being ‘very efficient and focused, knowing what he wanted and not letting anything stop him from achieving his goals.’ 

She also shared how she felt like he had been surprisingly lucky to find the opportunities that led him to the Academy. Having not told her about his semblance, this was a bit of a shock to hear. He was thankful that they seemed to be on better terms now and they both promised to stay in touch more often. 

Besides spending time with the family, he spent some time visiting his favorite spots around town. Running into some old classmates who were surprised to see him and being invited to a few clubs and parties along the way. He enjoyed this new appreciation and the fact that they knew he went to the academy and was back visiting. These interactions always prompted so many questions. He didn’t realize how popular and well liked he had been all those years ago. Couldn’t see the forest for the trees, as they say.

He goes to a few of the parties, preferring them to random clubs. One of the girls from student council asks him directly if he has a boyfriend and he gives her a look, knowing that he never told anyone from school that he was gay. She just rolls her eyes at him and tells him that he was easy to read and still is. Since she doesn’t seem to flinch, he does clarify that she is correct, so she introduces him to a friend of hers at the party, Jacek, not mentioning anything about sexuallity but just thought that they might get along. Clover, almost feeling his semblance at work, just goes with the flow. 

Jacek is a tall brown haired man, with clearly defined muscles, not as much as himself, but clearly someone who takes care of his physical attributes. He is wearing a button shirt with about half of the buttons on the top half undone, clearly showing off his physique for anyone who would look. And Clover was looking. From what Clover can tell, the ladies seem to be enjoying it too. He became a little disappointed, as he seems to be flirting with all of them. But as they continued to chat, he realizes that the ladies are also flirting with him too, and he begins to wonder if Jacek and him are both just being polite. 

As the night wears on and Clover realizes that they haven’t really stopped chatting for a better part of the evening, he takes a chance, sort of feeling his semblance in play, and asks Jacek out to lunch tomorrow and he says yes. So they swap contacts and Clover ends up leaving the party shortly after. Before he leaves, Jacek pulls him in for a side hug and whispers in Clover's ear that he can’t wait until tomorrow. 

They meet up for lunch and Clover takes a chance and reaches across the table and grabs Jacek’s hand and he reciprocates. Jacek suggests that they go for a walk after their lunch and Clover gladly agrees. After a while Jacek surprises him by saying, “Well here’s my place. Can I see you later? Or would asking to see you for dinner tonight be too much?”

Clover takes the question to be an invitation and pulls him in for a kiss, which is gently but hungrily reciprocated. He was going to have to thank her for introducing him because this man was very much his type and he was clearly interested in him.

They do in fact get together for dinner that night and the night after that and the night after that. And on the third night, Jacek invites Clover into his home. Things start to get a bit heated and then Jacek shares that he has never been with a man before. He had previously shared on their first dinner date that he was bi. It never occurred to Clover that he was new to all of this. He was a bit hesitant, offering to wait and to continue building their relationship, content on what they had, but Jacek was fairly insistent. Despite this, it was obvious that Jacek was nervous but at the same time confident and a bit hesitant, as he was uncertain of his role. Clover was patient and gentle, especially since someone’s first time was so important to make them as comfortable and special as possible. 

Clover stayed the night and didn’t regret it. He felt better than he had in a long while. Clearly having sex did help to alleviate stress and blow off steam, including some he didn’t know he had, as is the nature of these things. Jacek was a polite and wonderful man. But Clover worried how this would work, considering that Clover was going back to Atlas in two days. Jacek shared that he worked in Argus but did occasionally travel for work to Atlas and could plan visits during those trips. It was clear that he wanted to have a long distance relationship, as he felt that Clover was worth it. 

They spend a good amount of time together those last two days but not so much that Clover forgot his promises to spend time with his cousins. He also goes out to the forest, just south of the city, for some of the time while Jacek is at work, so that he can enjoy the greenery. He remembered how little color Atlas had when he first got there and forgot how much Argus had. With Summer in full swing, the forest was full of vibrant greens and blooms in various colors.

He laid down in the middle of a small clearing to just enjoy the smell and the sound of the forest and stare at everything and nothing for a while. He dozed off for just a bit waking up to the same sweet smells and sounds of this spectacular forest. He pushed himself up to sit and stretch. He glances around and notices that he is sitting in a large patch of clover and on a whim picks one and low and behold, it is a four leaf clover. He spins it in between his fingers. As he watches it twirl in his fingers, he feels his semblance twirling with it. He stops spinning it and then it feels like his semblance stopped too.

He gets up and moves to a different location and the sensation continues to follow this feeling. Even with a name so obvious as his own, it never occurred to him that the key to controlling his semblance would be his namesake. A simple thing found in nature.

He carefully pockets the clover and heads back to Argus proper. He checks around for a smith or jeweler that might be able to help him with a project that he created just on his walk back to the city. Lucky him, the first one that he decides to check on, a jeweler and blacksmith partnership, is willing and able to craft the pin that he wants. He also asks that they carefully coat the four leaf clover, to help it keep it intact and then build the pin around it, in a manner of speaking. They tell him they can do it but it will take time. He tells them to take all the time they need and then ask them to ship it to Atlas and gives them his address. 

The next day and half go by quickly and before he really gets a chance to enjoy his limited time off. Before he knows it, he is back in Atlas, missing his cousins, aunt, uncle and his new boyfriend, Jacek. On a whim, he told his aunt before he left that he had a new boyfriend and she got so excited for him. It completely caught him off guard since he didn’t think that she knew he was gay and for the second time that week, he was told in so many terms that he was so obvious. Now he worried a little that everyone could just see it when they looked at him, but then he remembered that he didn’t care anymore because he had a boyfriend and that is all that mattered to him. 

He spent less time training because he had other things he wanted to spend his time doing. He still participated in the weekly training and sparring matches but didn't go crazy with the training.

Within a week after returning, his pin arrives and it looks spectacular. He doesn’t know where to place it on his uniform at first but after practicing with it during his weekly sparring matches, he finds that over his left breast is best. He knows that training and controlling his semblance will take time, but maybe it just helped him find the best way by having his very own lucky charm.


	12. 26 Orders/Beliefs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Death of side character

Clover was so happy with Jacek and he had never once pushed for anything that they both didn’t want. Their time getting to know each other while on long calls in the evening and text message conversations that went on for hours were made all the more special by the visits that they each made to see the other, like exclamation points on the end of a sentence. The visits were frequent enough to keep them connected and alleviate any physical desires that made the distance hard to take. 

But then the bottom dropped out of this well balanced life that he had created.

Clover never thought that he would have to decide between his career and his personal life and yet here he was. His beliefs being challenged all because he had wanted more for himself.

Clover was falling for Jacek more and more as the months drew on. So Clover requested a transfer to Argus believing that this would give them the opportunity to be together regularly and maybe even a chance to live together. It was approved and Clover surprised Jacek by showing up unannounced, with the help from his friend that had introduced them. 

Jacek was thrilled and they spent the night together at Jacek’s place. Clover discussed his plans to head back to the base and set up his room. But Jacek wasn’t having it and immediately offered Clover to stay and live with him. Clover was a little hesitant at first but after a little convincing, Clover agreed. 

He was stationed there for a few months, when unexpectedly his orders changed. He had not anticipated being called back to Atlas unless he had requested it and yet he was staring at the order on his phone. He would be expected back in Atlas in two weeks time.

Clover’s heart fell through the floor. He loved his job and he had hoped to work his way up through the ranks, even considering working his way up to the commander of this base, so that he didn’t have to leave. Now he just stared at his scroll. Shaking. 

He makes some calls and finds out that Ironwood, also ascending the ranks, had requested him. He is honored but leaves a very detailed message turning down the offer. However, this does nothing to deter Ironwood, as Ironwood makes it sound like the request is out of his hands, coming from someone higher than him, but admitting to preferring him over others. 

Turns out that the General himself had requested him and Ironwood wasn’t lying. Feeling defeated after trying for almost a week to get the transfer order changed, Clover goes home to tell Jacek. It was just as devastating for Jacek as it was Clover. They cry together and Jacek offers to look for work in Atlas. Clover declines, stating that they may just need to return to their long distance relationship for a while, so that Clover can put in a new request to return to Argus. 

After returning to Atlas and working with Ironwood and the General occasionally for about a month, he finally finds out why he was called back. The General thought that they needed some ‘luck’ on his side regarding the upcoming negotiations with the other kingdoms for supplies.

Clover is pissed and Ironwood is too. Both of them understanding the idea of being reduced to your semblance was unforgivable. 

Despite the negotiations ending favorably for Atlas, Clover’s request to be transferred is denied. Ironwood even fights to get the decision reversed, to no avail. After talking for a bit after, Ironwood suggests that Clover leave the military just to prove how important it was to him to be assigned where he preferred. Clover said he would think about it. 

Clover spoke to Jacek about what had happened while visiting, as Jacek’s work happened to bring him to Atlas during this particular week. Jacek had no intention of telling Clover what to do or how to live his life. He did enjoy their life that they had together in Argus and was looking forward to discussions about the future. And Clover knew what he was implying, as he had been thinking about it too. 

But was it too much of an ask that Clover had to choose to stay in the Military away from the man that he loved, which wasn’t fair to him. Or to leave the Military and the career that he had fought for and had saved him so many times. 

He was a licensed huntsman. He could still take missions from the board in Argus. It wasn’t the end of his career but just a different aspect of it. He had heard from his cousins that Sanctum was in need of some new professors too, as a few of them were retiring. 

The more he thought about it the more he realized he didn’t need the military. So he met with Ironwood the next day to let him know what he had decided. He got the necessary forms and planned to fill them out later that week, after Jacek went back to Argus.

Best laid plans don’t always turn out to be what fate has in store for you.

Clover was filling out the last of the forms when he received a call from his Aunt in Argus. Not entirely unexpected but a little unusual for the time of day. However, from the moment she started speaking, he knew that something was wrong. 

She had a hard time getting the words out past her sobs. Clover asked about his uncle, his cousins and she stated that they were all fine. So what could she possibly be calling about?

“It’s Jacek.” Clover’s heart stopped beating as he waited, holding his breath, afraid she was about to confirm his worst fears. “There was a Grimm attack on the city the day he got back. And…” she sobbed and Clover didn’t need to hear the rest. He dropped his scroll and began hyperventilate. Then he began to sob, uncontrollably. Why? Why Jacek? Why not himself? 

He mourned for a few days, barely able to move around his quarters. Ironwood had gotten the report from Argus the next day and when Clover didn’t show up for his mission, he knew something was wrong. Clover was barely able to say any words but Ironwood checked the report and saw Jacek’s name on the list of the deceased and quickly realized what had happened. 

Clover was given all the time that he needed to mourn. Ironwood saw to it, escorting him back to Argus so that his family could help take care of him. 

Clover attended the funeral in a fog. But he had enough wits about him to bring the engagement ring that he had bought for Jacek. Without anyone’s permission, he placed it on the tip of his finger, recognizing that neither of them would get the chance to ask or say yes but the unasked question had lingered in the air. Only fitting that he should take it with him, like a small part of Clover’s soul. 

He said goodbye to the future that he had hoped to have with Jacek. He deleted the forms off his scroll to leave the military and decided that what he needed most was something to distract him from the pain. Something to bury himself in and ignore all the potential future things that he could have had with Jacek. It hurt too much to think about.

The friend that had introduced them, shared a quote with him and it rang very true within his mind. “The most painful state of being is remembering the future, particularly the one you’ll never have.”

His beliefs were being tested but he knew that he would pull through this. It would take time. A lot of it. The pain would creep back in, just like it did when he thought about his parents. But with his luck, the pain would subside quickly and leave him to focus on his life in the future, alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had not decided where I was going with this prompt until I sat down to write it, right after school. And as it poured out of me, so did my tears. I knew that the relationship wasn't going to last but I hadn't pictured it ending like this. And yet it was poetic in its own way, so I decided to keep it. 
> 
> I'm sorry if you teared up as much as I did. This was a rough one.
> 
> The quote at the end is from Soren Kierkegaard and one of my personal favorites.
> 
> Until tomorrows chapter...take care.


	13. 27 Serendipity

After years of working to unlock and define his semblance, he now had control of it. For the most part. It had taken a lot of work to get to this point but it was worth it.

After he found the four leaf clover and had his pin made with the four leaf clover inside, from the forest just south of Argus, he had been training to use his pin more to help him focus. In the beginning he had just tried to feel for his pin and the other objects, but the more he trained the more realized that actually touching it created a better outcome and a better response. The four leaf clover having helped him feel his semblance spin about him as he had twirled it, touching his pin turned into flicking his pin, like a light switch, with his luck collecting around it and then he was setting it free to help him and sometimes his teammates.

But the other tricky part was making sure that it helped them and not the enemy. There were a number of times during a sparring match that he would use it only to have it backfire on him and benefit his opponent. He really didn’t enjoy being on the receiving end of those matches. But they helped prevent incidences in the field and learning from that was important.

The more that he trained, the more he learned and one big factor was that when his aura was very low or shattered, his luck either didn’t work or favored his opponent. Almost like it became bad luck based on his aura alone.

As he worked more to learn to control his semblance when his aura was lower, he learned that it didn’t always favor his opponent, but more that he was less in control of it, like a weakness in physical ability when one was worn out from working or training for hours. This is when he recognized that his ability was more like a muscle in some ways. 

He had taken up meditation after playing with his horseshoe while out on a mission, when he started feeling his semblance dance around his luck based items. He began fiddling with his pin while writing his debriefs for missions and when he began focusing on the pin, the feeling intensified. Hence the meditation.

But the meditation came with its drawbacks, as it sometimes brought up memories of his parents and Jacek. He had returned to his therapist after it had happened. And he knew that it was just part of the process but he cried a lot back then and it still hurt now to think about it but the wound wasn’t as fresh and the healing had begun and he was learning to live with the pain and learning how to cope with being alone.

Being alone actually brought the opportunity to spend more time working on his semblance with teammates and former classmates, a number who were hunters in the field, most of whom traveled the world and a number who just stayed in Mantle. He enjoyed hearing about their adventures and the people they had met along the way. One even mentioned meeting a huntsman that had a luck semblance like his. They didn’t get a name but Clover made a note to try and find out who it may have been.

Between the training, the missions and the meditation, he was able to learn to control his semblance with 90% accuracy, at least by his count. And it was serendipitous that it had happened at all, since he was alone and able to work on it. Had he gone back to Argus and left the military and possibly worked as a huntsman or professor, there was no guarantee that he would have figured it out. He liked to think that he still would have, but knowing how much effort that he had put into this, he had a hard time convincing himself. 

He was thrilled to know that he had such control and that his control would just get better over time. And he hated knowing that it was because he was alone. 

His therapist had suggested that he find other hobbies and activities and he considered it but in the beginning all he kept thinking about how much fun it would have been to do those things with Jacek. It was still too painful but working on his semblance was not something that he had ever done with Jacek. It was safe and separate. 

He did meet a few kindred souls along the way who had been feeling lost in the military. One of the recommendations from his therapist had been to join a group therapy session for others who were grieving. He didn’t think that it would help much but it turned out that he was wrong. It was a group of other military people and one of the first things that he shared that apparently surprised everyone, was not that he had lost Jacek but that he seemed so open about it despite being in the military. 

Apparently a number of them had were gay, lesbian or bi and had not told anyone concerned that they would be discriminated against. The others that were not, were surprised but sympathetic and also understanding of the concerns of the others hiding their identity and preference of partner. The whole conversation derailed the initial intent of the meeting but the therapist watched people who had been grief stricken for weeks and months, all of the sudden see hope in their future. After about a half an hour of talk, she reigned the meeting back in. She smiled at Clover, and he smiled back recognizing that even the little things can help others. 

He made some good friends in this group and invited a number of them to the clubs in Mantle that he had been introduced to years ago, as most of them also didn’t know that there was a place for them to just be themselves. He flicked his pin and focused on them and then did what his friend did for him years ago. Found a dance partner and left them to fend for themselves. He did keep an eye on all of them from a distance as they all went their separate ways and found a way to fit in. Using his luck for others was fun and a great exercise in control.

In the process of helping them he wound up dating again. It started with just one night stands, which he never thought he would partake in, but the idea of doing anything long term felt like betrayal. This was instinct, lust and desire that led to a release and usually ended with a simple thanks and goodbye.

By the time the one year anniversary came around, he was feeling better. Happy about his friends, spending time enjoying life again and working his way up the military ranks. And he had finally worked out his semblance. It really was serendipity that he was able to affect such positive changes in so many ways. He liked it. And despite his loss, which would always be there, he had made the most out of his life and he didn’t think that Jacek would have wished for it any different.


	14. 28 Self Care

Clover had had a good year. He had some decent friends outside of his team. He was having a great time doing his job and being in the military and working to eventually get a promotion. He had a plan to work his way up the ranks and even though he would have thought he was higher in the ranks at this point in life, this is where he is at the moment. 

But every so often, he would get sick. Even for a man as luck as himself could not prevent every chance of catching a cold or other sickness. The downside to the whole thing, was that it happened to be when his cousin had decided to come for a visit so that she could job shadow in Atlas, to see if she had any interest in going into that career. Clover was more than willing to provide a place for her to stay for her visit, since he got clearance from his CO and rarely had company.

Having his 10 years younger cousin help take care of him while he was sick was not what he had in mind. He did get sick about once a year, but he had been sick three times in the last six months, so this was unusual for him. She asked him about how often that this happened to him, more out of curiosity, despite his own internal dialogue and shared that this had happened more often than it had in the past. She she inquired about his routine to see if there was something or someone that was the cause of it.

After he went over his schedule where he would work during the day and then spent one night out at the clubs, one night training and sparring with friends and all of the others weight lifting or training with the simulated fights. As he stated it to her, it was clear that had started overworking again, like he had in the past, and she called him out on it. He had not even felt like he was because he had a schedule that included time for meditation and activities that were not work related. And yet here he was unexpectedly sick.

She told him that he wasn’t taking any time for himself to just relax and catch a movie or watch something for fun or read a book. She wasn’t wrong, considering he had a list of shows, movies and books that he planned to get to and wasn’t even trying to get to unless he was sick which happened but rarely. 

And she didn’t know the worst part, which he didn’t want to admit to himself but he also thought about how he had been sleeping around quite a bit, mostly on his club nights. It was a poor use of his semblance and even if it did help him alleviate stress and any other pent up tension, it wasn’t worth it. She was right. He was working too hard. He really needed to take better care of himself. But where did he start?

The answer came from an unusual place. One of his former friends from therapy ran into him at the club the previous week and she called him up to invite him to a game night. At first he turned her down, but after some of this reflection, he messaged her and asked if the invitation was still good and it was. So he added in a weekly evening with friends, and as soon as he was feeling better he would do more with that group too.

Then he also added a night for himself. Tuesday nights turned into a good night to just stay in and relax after a usually busy beginning of the week. 

And decided that he should stop randomly hooking up with guys at the club, sticking to dancing and drinking a bit and leaving alone. 

She was right to call him on it and this had always been a slippery slope for him to overwork himself thinking that he was just preparing himself for the unknown. Making sure that he was strong enough and proficient enough with his semblance that it would not negatively impact him or others around him was all fine and good. But not the extent of overworking. Self care could be just as important if not more so than training or sleep, which it was always on a strict schedule to make sure he got enough sleep.

His cousin stayed for four days and by the last day he was feeling much better, mostly due to her care and concern for him. He got to thank her by taking her to see some pretty amazing sites around town and for a celebration dinner for deciding that she did want to make the career move for the position that she was job shadowing and they had referred her to a job application and interviewed her that very week. She had not heard officially but they told her it was just a formality regarding hiring her and Clover didn’t feel bad about using his semblance to help her just a bit, considering what she had done for him.

He needed that connection and now she would be around to check in on him, although he told her it was unnecessary. She looked up to him and if helping him take better care of himself made her happy, then he was happy to let her.


	15. 29 Change

Clover had been through a lot in the past few years but this was the most substantial. He was going for his Captain’s promotion. It wasn’t overly difficult and he had been a 1st lieutenant for long enough that they would likely not question the promotion. And yet, here he was having his entire military record laid in front of him like he was a specimen to be examined under a microscope. 

Was it his nerves? Was his semblance not in his control at the moment and benefiting them? He wasn’t sure what was happening. So he continued to let the questions about his past and choices continue, when the meat of the discussion finally came around.

“Says here that your semblance is Good Luck. So what have you done to prove that you didn’t just ‘luck’ your way into your current position?”

There it was. He had to do everything, clench his jaw and ball his fist behind his back, to try and maintain a calm composure. They were ‘examining’ him because of his semblance. 

It irritated him that this had not been brought up prior to this final discussion. At least not in this way. What was the sudden change in this course of questions? As he was thinking about how to begin his response to the rather rude question in a calm and collected way, he was asked another.

“We have been informed recently that you may not have earned your current rank due to your semblance and that you continuously use it to gain you favor with co-workers, your COs and other influential people, including those who have submitted recommendations on your behalf. So we need to know if this is true or not? If so then a full investigation will need to take place. If not, then this needs to be laid to rest here so that it does not leave a stain on the military as a whole.”

And now he really didn’t know how this was happening. He had not focused his semblance on this, it wasn’t worth the effort. On top of the fact that it was hard to affect things this far removed from him, both in place and time.

So he started by explaining his semblance and how it worked for him as well as not knowing what it was and only learning to control it in more recent years, for which he had earned a number of ranks prior to gaining control. He then explained what he had done to earn each and every rank prior to his current one. 

He then went down the dark path of explaining, as much as he would have wanted to influence others regarding his position and promotions that he would have chosen to use it to save others in the field or prevent injuries of civilians. If it worked like they were saying, then he would have used it to save the life of his boyfriend three years ago. 

Lastly, he shared that if he had such ability to influence others, then the question that they were asking now would not have been important and never would have occurred. As he assured them that being referred to as being nothing more than your semblance was the most demeaning thing that he had ever experienced. 

The committee looked a bit shocked as he laid out the last two points. There was one man on the committee that he knew from his academy days that clearly had stayed quite, until now. Ironwood took this moment to speak to share his own experience with his passive semblance and agreeing that as much control that one may learn over time that it isn’t perfect. He also commented on the effort and training regime that Clover kept of his own volition that showed more dedication to his position and abilities than anything that his luck could do for him.

This seemed to alleviate the concerns of the panel and in short order, they approved his promotion. There was one modification that they required from everything and it was a suggestion made by Ironwood. “Change your semblance title. Good Luck is too random and you have clearly gained much control, so it doesn’t fit as well. Good Fortune suits it more.”

That was probably the best outcome of the whole thing and he was more than happy to make the change. Maybe then some of the crazy people who still tried to contact him about giving his luck to others would leave him alone.

He went to go find Ironwood the next day to thank him for his kind words regarding their treatment of him based on his semblance and for the recommendation to change the title of it too. 

“No thanks needed. They were out of line and they needed to be reminded.” He paused for a moment. “Besides, you are not the only ‘luck’ based semblance user I have met. But he has little to no control.”

Clover was shocked. “There is someone else who has good luck like me? Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“I didn’t say ‘good luck,’ I said ‘luck based.’ His semblance isn’t good luck but rather bad luck.”

“Still, you neve mentioned it before. I would have thought that someone would have told me about another person with a ‘luck’ semblance.”

“Not many people know considering he isn’t from Atlas. And he and I don’t really get along very well, so not exactly something I think about very often.”

“So where is he from?”

“Vale. But he does spend a good amount of time traveling in Anima and other places.”

“Does he come to Atlas occasionally?”

“Not unless he absolutely has to.” Ironwood noticed that Clover seemed disappointed. “Maybe I can request that he visit sometime soon. I make no promises since I mentioned that we don’t exactly get along very well.”

Clover was content with the knowledge that maybe he could meet someone else like himself. Then a memory from a few years back when he was sparring with a few friends who were not in the military came back to him about meeting someone else with a ‘luck based’ semblance. He had never followed up and now he was hearing about it for a second time. 

His teammates held a small congratulatory party, as they knew that it was great that he was getting the promotion but sad that he was being reassigned to a new position. He was going to lead a company in military intelligence, which was one of his strong suites. 

As he settled into his new role, a little less active for his taste but not something he wasn’t too concerned about, he learned just how important information was to plan for the future. Most of this position was finding and dispatching grimm in the Tundra, particularly in and around the dust mines. He was also privy to information from all of the academies across Remnant, which could provide vital information in some cases. Rarely was there a threat outside grimm in the kingdom, but it never hurt to be prepared. 

All of this change in his life was wonderful and he was pretty happy to have been able to get this far, looking forward to where the next challenge would lead him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like the last two chapter prompts were great but I just lost my mojo with writing off the cuff a bit. Maybe it was being home on the weekend with my kids or the new chapter of RWBY release but this weekend has not been my best work and I can feel it. I hope that I can get my mojo back tomorrow, but if not Qrow is about to make his appearance in Clover’s life soon, as well as Clover will learn about Salem, both should be much better chapters....at least I hope they are.


	16. 30 Team

Things were starting to really take shape. Atlas was booming. Mantle was secured and there were no current breaches in the walls of the city. They were sharing tech with the surrounding kingdoms and saving lives in the process.

All of this innovation and achievement accomplished mostly by one man: Lieutenant General James Ironwood.

Today was special because Ironwood was being promoted from Lieutenant General to General. Everyone, that is in the military ranks, were very aware of all the inroads that Ironwood had made and the achievements that Atlas was able to take credit for thanks to his ideas and innovative approaches to technology and advancement. And everyone expected this and more from the new General, who had also convinced the council and the Academy to let him lead both, by being headmaster as well, since it was so integral to the kingdom that they recruited the best of the best from the Academy. 

No one even blinked an eye, knowing full and well that Atlas Academy had always been a feeder school for the military. There were a handful who would choose to take their hunter license and use it elsewhere or travel but they were few and far between. Then Atlas also was able to recruit a few hunters from the other kingdoms into their ranks as well. So it all balanced out in the end.

The day after the Generals big promotion, was something that surprised Clover. He was called to the Generals office and that seemed unusual. But with their history, he decided it was nothing to worry about. 

He arrived early, as he usually did for meetings and the General’s assistant led him in early. Ironwood graciously offered him a place to sit and then complained about not liking the room design and looking to bring it up to speed as soon as possible. He then finally got to the point.

“Do you know why I asked for you?”

“No sir. I haven't the vaguest idea.”

“I want you to create an elite team. Special Forces. Small, perfectly aligned, strategic fighting force. The best of the best.”

“Yes, sir. I can easily do that.”

“I suspected as much. With your time in military intelligence, you will have great insight in how different hunters work together, as well as how their fighting styles and semblances come into play.”

“Yes, sir. I will keep that in mind.”

“Return with your report in two days.”

So he went about scouring the records for those with the best fighting skills and comments from COs and colleagues. He specifically included minor comments about faunas military members, knowing full well that they were too often overlooked, despite their impressive abilities and skill. 

He needed two heavy hitters or tanks. Then he needed a sniper, probably two, of sorts. He then needed someone who was more calm and collected on the battlefield and could easily support the others, as well as a strategist. And then he needed a stealth person. At first he thought it best to keep it like the teams in the Academy, with four to the team and then thought better of it to double it and have eight. This would also provide the ability to divide and conquer different tasks and challenges. His experience after working with intelligence and clearing out grimm in the tundra, he learned that having one team was fine, having two was infinitely better. 

After he found the perfect eight members of the team, with a couple of alternates in case they turned down the position, he returned to Ironwood with the list. He seemed very impressed and was eager to get started but he removed one member on the team immediately, for reasons that he would not share, so he needed to pull from one of the alternates, for which he was about to make suggestions, when Ironwood beat him to it.

“Now that you are done selecting this team, I want you to lead it.”

Clover was stunned. He was fine with helping create a team or corp. He was used to utilizing them all the time for missions in the tundra. He was more than happy to coordinate but lead the team. “Sir, are you certain that is prudent?”

“Of course. Your skills and talents are wasted just working in intelligence. Your experience in it has been invaluable but your strengths will be better serving in the field.”

He couldn’t really argue with that. And he would prefer to take a more active role again. 

So starting at the end of the week, he would be working with seven new teammates to coordinate secret missions and special tasks. He looked forward to coordinating new attacks and training with others again, as he was out of practice. A new chapter of his life was about to unfold.


	17. 31 Second Chances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: A nightcap is a late night drink right before bed, usually alcoholic.

Clover was moving fast, kicking ass and taking names, so to speak, as he and his team, the Ace Ops, were in a competition to take down the most grimm using their best skills. They were up against a much larger squadron of fighters but none of them would be described as excellent individually, but as a unit they were formidable. Hence the reason why they were assigned to work in conjunction in taking out this grim nest.

It all started when the CO of the other unit, Major O’Neil and a number of others in the squad questioned his abilities to lead and in combat, subtly suggesting that his semblance was more responsible for his position. So they made a bet for a contest regarding the number of grimm kills in the nest that they were about to take out and a show of skill regarding more than basic moves. The Major O’Neil was coordinating the mission and to make it fair, Clover assigned Joto to be the one to coordinate with him to coordinate the attack and keep score, in a manner of speaking.

Clover was showing off. He was so used to taking a support role that this was a little our ot the ordinary for him. When it mattered most, he helped set up the best coordinated attacks that his team could muster.

But coordinated attacks or not, quantity was starting to outperform quality. The tally of total destroyed grimm went back and forth regarding who was in the lead. The occasional large group hits with objects really helped Clover and the Ace Ops. 

As the fight seems to come to a conclusion a huge swarm of grimm appears near the side of the cavern, halfway up a small mountain. Grimm nests were unpredictable and having another group appear nearby was not unheard of but always something that they planned to see. 

The Ace Ops are down in kills and Clover really doesn’t want to lose, so Clover tries something a bit dangerous that might actually get him injured but would be worth it, if it worked.

With the help of a few of the Ace Ops and strategic use of his semblance and Kingfisher, he triggers a small avalanche just above the grimm on the small mountain. This does the job of taking out a large number of grimm. The Ace Ops have easily won the competition and Clover is smug and smirking to himself. 

Until he realizes that he went too far. 

The small avalanche, after taking out the large group of grim, is now headed towards the rest of the other squad, including some of the stationary soldiers down at the bottom of the hill. And it isn’t slowing. He calls all of the Ace Ops to focus on saving anyone that they can. He signals the CO and Joto, who realized what was happening nearly as fast as Clover did. Major O’Neil was a little behind but quickly caught on to what was happening.

After letting Joto coordinate from his view with the Major, they quickly get everyone out of the path as quickly and efficiently as possible. To their credit, there are minimal injuries and no fatalities, but the loss of equipment was substantial. Clover knew that he was taking a risk when he attempted the strike but to himself and not to everyone else. 

As Major O’Neil and him head back to base, the Major comments that clearly his skill is not just all luck and that he does in fact deserve and clearly earned his position. Clover commented, “Thanks, but I wonder how much longer I will get to keep it.”

They both knew that they were in for a stern talking to, a written reprimand and possibly a demotion and reassignment all depending on what happened next.

So after they each get the talking to from Ironwood, for which they deserved and explanations from them regarding what occurred, all of which lasted for a better part of an hour. Major O’Neil is then dismissed, leaving Clover alone with the general, and he is not sure what is about to happen next. 

“I expected more from you.”

“Sir, I don’t know what else I can say that I haven’t already said.”

“I didn’t want to do this in front of the major. I am changing the CO duties for the Ace Ops to Joto. I know that he will be honored by the promotion.” Ironwood pauses and turns to look at Clover directly. “However, he has shared with me that he plans to retire sometime in the next few months. When he chooses to do so, as long as there are no further incidents, I am willing to let you lead the ops again.”

“Thank you, Sir. It would be a privilege, Sir.”

Ironwood nods, sighs and then takes a more familiar tone, “Clover, I don’t usually give second chances, but this feels like a fluke. DON’T let it happen again.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Clover left the general’s office that day with his dignity still intact, if only just barely. He transfers all of the necessary information to Joto willingly who is rather surprised at the workload that Clover was managing. Joto jokes that he may retire sooner if he can’t keep up with all of this. 

In the meantime, Clover has a lot more free time on his hands. And remembering his conversation with his cousin a few years before, he takes it to heart not to go train constantly. He takes three nights a week for himself to read, watch movies or spend time with friends. One night he goes to the clubs in Mantle, which he hasn’t been to in a while. As well as sparing with others once a week and then training two nights a week, just to keep him in good shape.

During the first week while at a friends place playing games, he sees a familiar face, a blast from the past. One of his ex-boyfriends from about ten years ago. Natenael. It was strange at first but clearly they have both grown and matured over the time that they were last together. They chat and play games, sometimes together and sometimes with others but end the evening talking to each other. 

Finally, Clover realizes the time and decides that they should head out as they had likely overstayed their welcome at the host home. As they make for the door and grab their coats to head out, Natenael gets brave and kisses him lightly, saying how nice it was to see him again. Clover can’t believe how comforting it feels to kiss him again. Before he can leave Clover pulls him back for a much more intense kiss that is readily reciprocated. 

They leave and Clover offers to walk him home, which Natenael readily accepts. They exchange phone numbers and talk about getting lunch together the next day. When they get to his apartment, they kiss goodnight. Clover is turning to leave when Natenael grabs his arm and asks him if he would like to come up. Clover is hesitant at first, but then looking at Natenael, he can see the worried look if he turns him down, so Clover politely says yes.

They take off their coats and make small talk on the couch as Natenael offers him a nightcap. They sit and talk for at least an hour as Natenael slowly moves closer. Clover isn’t opposed to sleeping with the man, but that was something that they had never done when they were younger and it felt off to sully the thought now. 

Clover sets down his nearly empty glass and suggests that it is late and that he should go but is looking forward to seeing him for lunch tomorrow. Natenael begins to protest but Clover cuts him off by kissing his hand and thanking him for such a lovely evening, catching up and remembering the good times. He adds how much he is looking forward to more of this in the future with him. Clearly Natenael is placated by this and Clover kisses him sweetly and simply one more time. 

As he walks home alone, he gets a message on his scroll from Natenael thanking him for the evening and slowly getting to know each other again. Clover smiles. Maybe Ironwood wasn’t the only one who was giving people second chances.


	18. 32 Gloves

It is cold in Atlas, but it is always cold. And despite being comfortable with wearing no sleeves, even he isn’t impervious to the cold. Especially his hands. For some unknown reason, no matter how warm or comfortable that he felt, his hands always were the opposite of what they needed to be. When it was cold and would prefer warm hands, they were cold. When he occasionally visited Argus in the Summer and it was hot, at least for him, his hands were hot. It made no sense.

Clover had tried gloves but they were always so bulky to use with Kingfisher. Or too soft of material that they tear easily. Or didn’t fit well and in most cases, they got in the way of using both Kingfisher and his pin since his hands would be covered. So he learned to live with it.

He rarely mentioned it to anyone just assuming that he was weird or that maybe it was that way for everyone. However, during his time dating Natenael off and on for the past year, it had come up that sometimes Clover’s hands were ice cold and other times they were sizzling hot. 

It wasn’t until Natenael bought him an impromptu gift that he really started to get his cold hands, since the hot ones didn’t happen often, under control. 

“What is this?”

“Open it and you’ll see.”

So he did and found two pairs of fingerless gloves. “What in the world…”

“It seems to me that the best way to help your hands stay warm, and not get in the way of your weapon was to find a pair of gloves that would help keep in the heat but not impede the use of your weapon. So this was the perfect solution.”

Clover put them on immediately. They were an unusual texture but the material stretched to fit his hand very snugly, especially as it warmed up. “What is this material? I don’t recognize the feel.”

“Of course you don’t. We don’t really have grazing animals in Atlas. It’s called leather. It’s made from animal skin. This one is made from deer hide, so it is thick enough to be sturdy and thin enough so it isn’t bulky. I had them made especially for you. I thought that if it could keep animals warm, maybe they could do the same for you. And without the fingertips, there is plenty you can do without being impeded.”

After he had them both put on and strapped in place, he flexed his fingers and clenched his fists. They felt really good. He went to go grab Kingfisher to see how it would feel and because the gloves didn’t have tips, it left him the ability to feel and touch everything, including his pin. 

“These are great. How did I not know about this?”

“I recall hearing about you focusing your time trying to unlock your semblance and that was your biggest priority. So I suspect that you didn’t go looking for better gloves than the off hand chance that you stumbled across a pair here or there.”

Clover just smiled, as Natenael remembered a lot more about their time together ten years ago than he did. But he was very focused on determining his semblance at the time. 

He starts the very next day with them and finds that they do in fact help keep warmth in his hands and he has more control over Kingfisher because of it. So the moves that he used to have trouble with are easier. Some of the moves requiring that he catch the hook or some other motion with his hand turn out to be doable now that he has the gloves. 

Clover wears them constantly to the point of only not wearing them when he sleeps. It was nice to finally feel more with his hands in the cold of Atlas, all thanks to a simple pair of fingerless gloves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That hand condition that I described for Clover actually exists. One of my college friends had it but I don't remember the name.
> 
> It's coming along and I want to thank all of you for sticking with me through these 18 days so far, with 12 more to go.


	19. 33 Laughter/Tears

His life was full of ups and downs just like everyone else. Despite some people’s ideas that he must have had such a great life with a semblance of good fortune. Outsiders didn’t understand how little a semblance makes a person.

But Clover had come to grips with this after many years of doubts, tests and trials. His team knew as did many in the military corps, just how much effort it took to become a specialist, a Captain or higher. 

And now was no exception, even when it came to private life. Despite all of his good times with Natenael, they decided to end their relationship amicably, as Clover was taking on more responsibilities with the Ace Ops, after he got his commission back when Joto retired and Natenael was offered a full time job in Vale. They promised to keep in touch but were aware that with their busy schedules that it may not be often. Clover was a bit sad but they were both striving to reach their dream jobs.

The Vytal festival was upon them and it was being held in Vale this year, specifically with Beacon Academy hosting. They had set up to send their teams from various years to the event and looked forward to seeing which student would win the tournament giving their Academy bragging rights for a few years. 

Despite the fact that most headmasters stayed in their respective kingdoms, General Ironwood felt inclined to take a good portion of the fleet to Vale anyway. Clover almost asked if the Vale council and the headmaster, Ozpin, were expecting it but then decided that he would be stepping over the line. Besides, while General Ironwood was gone, Clover and the Ops were temporarily assigned to work with the Lieutenant General, to help with anything that she needed. 

But what surprised him more was the fact that the general asked Specialist Schnee to drop off more drones later on that month, right before the festival started. Clover thought that would have been a task assigned to the Ace Ops until he learned that her sister was attending Beacon and then it all made sense. He had to laugh at how the Schnee family daughters were making a name for themselves as they broke away from their family name a little at a time. Felt a sort of kinship with his feelings regarding peoples’ opinions of his semblance.

Things were good. The Ops were in good spirits. The military cops and squads were assigned light duty shifts and tasks all so that everyone in the kingdom could enjoy the Vytal Festival.

They laughed and cried at some of the antics of the teams that won and lost during the team rounds. Some of the doubles rounds were pretty intense too.

Then came the singles round. Clover couldn’t figure out why but he felt something off, almost like dred, before they started. He checked every system and verified a few other things just to make sure that nothing was off. But his conversation with the General about a mysterious woman sneaking around Beacon and getting caught by a student still lingered in his thoughts.

Clover then watched in shock as a blonde girl attacked a student after the match was over. It was strange to see her reaction when it occurred. Clover never stopped watching her reaction until the cameras were cut off. Even her comments about how he attacked her were so clear and forthright that it was hard to imagine that she was lying. Either way the matches continued after and the fights were straightforward.

The next day they began the match with Pyrrha and Penny. This was going to be interesting, since he knew about Penny and the Penny project, but he also knew of the fame that Pyrrhra brought with her from Argus.

Then interesting things didn't happen. 

Tragedy. 

Deception. 

Anger. 

Fear. 

Everything that the general tried to prevent was thrown in his face despite his precautions. How was this woman able to infiltrate the Amity systems or any of the Atlas related tech? Was Atlas at risk too? As the Lieutenant General and the rest of the Ace Ops watched and listed to what happened, Clover jumped into action to check on as many systems as possible to verify that they were not in danger. He then called the rest of the Ops into action to start checking on every system that could be malfunctioned, access overridden or disabled.

The Lieutenant General was very impressed by his quick wit and ability to act under pressure. Everything seemed fine but as the situation on the CCT continued to degrade, the more they continued to check their systems to make sure, to double and triple check that nothing was wrong.

Then they saw the Atlas bots turn on the citizens, hunters and students. They were all stunned at this development, as they watched the same tech that they had shared with the world to help save lives turned into an arm intent on taking lives. 

Clover and the Ops quickly shut down all automated forces and had the Lieutenant General lock them down under his command code versus General Ironwood, to help protect the safety of Atlas. 

Then they all watched in horror as a giant flying grimm, later to be determined to be a Wyvern, burst out of the ground and fly over the city and school, primarily focused on the school. At this point they could barely do more than watch in horror and sadness as the grimm attracted more grim to the area to attack people. 

Clover noticed that something was falling off the grimm as it flew and caught a glimpse of what it was as it hit the ground. There were grimm coming off it, in a manner of speaking, like they were hitting the ground and reforming into various other grimm. The person streaming was not very good at keeping the camera steady and was flipping back and forth between different areas very quickly but he caught a glimpse of it. This was unlike any grimm he had ever seen. And it was obviously OLD. The more he watched the more he realized that the Wyvern was focused on the tower. 

Then Clover panicked internally. “No. It can’t be?”

The Lieutenant General inquired what he meant.

“It’s going to destroy the CCT and we are going to be cut off from global communications. That’s the only reason it would be focused on the tower.”

Vine inquired, “But why would it do that? How does it know what to do? How does it benefit by doing that?”

“I don’t know.”

As the video footage continued, they all watched in horror as the Wyvern attacked the CCT, but the recordings showed and outward attack as well, where part of the explosion happened inside the tower. There was nothing close enough to be discernible but it seemed to be that there were people fighting inside. 

But then there was nothing. 

Just black.

Silence.

It was overwhelming.

Clover was holding his breath and didn’t realize it until he went to speak. “Lieutenant General. Until the General returns you will be the Acting General and Headmaster for Atlas. Without communications all we can do is hope that he makes it back in due time.”

“Understood. Where are we with securing our systems?”

Clover and the Ops then work diligently with her and the rest of the military to secure all tech that they can and based on the acting generals orders, take an offensive position just in case one of the other kingdoms decides to come after them for the attack.

Clover finally gets back to his barracks and falls onto the couch. Uncontrollably and unexpectedly, he just starts sobbing and the tears roll down his face. Everything that they feared and more has come to like. Ironwood was being made a fool of and the other kingdoms might hold Atlas responsible for the drones attacking civilians and others. Not how he expected to work his way up the ranks.

And then he gets a message on his scroll to find a joke from Natenael, that he finds hilarious, despite being totally inappropriate at the time. Then he tells Clover that he is fine and how his neighborhood was luckily not damaged. He then describes how Ironwood got to his crashed landed ship just a block away, sharing a video of Ironwood in his torn dress uniform. Leave it to Natenael to brighten his day and mood with the perfect joke. 

Despite the rollercoaster ride of the day that he is experiencing, it seems par for the course that it mirrors his life. Laughter and tears seem to always go hand and hand for him and today was not different.


	20. 34 Past

A lot happened during the past year.

After the fall of Beacon, General Ironwood returned with some of the fleet within the week, minus all of the larger ships, as they had been damaged. A number of crew members stayed behind to save the two that could be saved. They even had to gut parts from the few that were beyond repair to repair the others that were salvageable. They returned a few weeks later.

Once Ironwood got back, he wasn’t the same anymore. He was always on edge, easily spooked and quick to anger. 

And Ironwood seemed certain that the other kingdoms were going to attack. That Atlas was going to become the focal point of the world. Clover wasn’t so sure but he didn’t voice his concerns, as that was not his place.

Once Ironwood had returned, he had met with the council immediately to close the borders. He met with Pietro to rebuild Penny, since she was still salvageable with the return of Amity Arena. 

The Ace Ops had changed a lot over the last few years as well. Ace Ops had started off as eight. Joto retired, making it seven. Then after a botched missing regarding two of the members, who were dating without telling anyone, they were both removed, the team became five. Another member requested for a reassignment in Argus and Clover recruited to replace him and the team is now a group of 5. Ironwood requested each time that he leave the team as it is, with the exception of the transfer. So now the Ace Ops consist of Elm, Vine, Harriet, Marrow and himself.

After all of the changes to the Ops and the military, Ironwood called for a special meeting with the Ace Ops and Winter. 

Ironwood locked down his office and asked them a question. “What’s your favorite fairy tale?”

They all looked at him strangely. “Sir, what is this about?” Clover inquired.

“I know it seems strange to ask but it is important. What is your favorite fairy tale?”

Shortly thereafter they all shared their opinions of different stories, from “The Warrior in the Woods,” “The Hunter’s Children,” “The Indecisive King,” “Two Brothers,” and two others that were a little more obscure. Not surprising since Vine had a very different culture upbringing and Marrow heard stories that were specific to faunas life that were not typically shared with others.

Then Ironwood asks, “Do you know about ‘The Story of Seasons?’’

Ironwood continues to tell them about how that story is actually real and that magic is real in their world. They have a hard time believing him and he expected as much. He then escorts them to the very deep and highly secured private room for Fria. He invites Winter to join him in the room and the rest watch from the observation window. James speaks to her and despite the glass, they can hear him ask her to demonstrate her magic. They watch in awe as she creates snow from out of nowhere that swirls around the room lightly. She then creates ice sicles along the wall opposite her bed.

The surprise and horror that they all experience when they watch this is palpable. They all recognized that there was no way for her to do what she did with dust. She was old and frail, she had no weapon to store dust and she was able to dispel what she created with ease. No one could do that with dust alone. And even powerful semblances, including the rarely spotted once in a couple generations semblance that nullified other semblances, was capable of doing what they just saw. There really was magic in the world. And Fria was the Winter Maiden.

After they went back to Ironwood’s office. Apparently they were not done. There was more. 

Clover was already surprised to learn what he had learned so far. And now there was more and he wasn’t sure that he was ready for it. That any of them were ready for it.

Ironwood described a leader for the grimm. Salem. A woman who was part human and part grimm. And she was after the magical relics, with one hidden within each of the schools. Atlas had the Staff of Creation. And only the Winter Maiden could open the door to access it. The Staff was currently being used to keep Atlas floating in the air, not by using dust like they had all been told.

After Ironwood finished telling them all of this, he expressed the classified nature of this information but also knew that it was not easy to hear. He gave them the entire next day off from work to process the information.

Everything in Clover’s past had not truly prepared him for everything that the general had told them. But after having messaged back and forth between the group as they did their best to process what they had been told. They all agreed that the grimm having a leader actually made more sense after seeing some of the unusual behaviors in the past.

They all returned to active duty the following day and everyone seems to be better but it still weighs heavy on their minds. But Ironwood isn’t done with the surprises just yet.

He unveils the plan to replace the Beacon CCT tower by using Amity and placing it in the atmosphere making it a more permanent replacement. This is shocking but is actually a really good idea to bring the world back together. But then Ironwood includes a terrifying idea. He wasn’t to tell the world about Salem, starting with Atlas. 

His reasoning is sound but the negative emotions that this will bring will be substantial. As they discuss it, the more and more clear it becomes that they are going to need all the help that they can get, which means recalling nearly all of their forces globally. 

So it begins by recalling all troops over the next few months, as the corps and squadrons will need time to complete projects and turn over control to local groups. 

And now they are staring down the barrel of all the past attempts to stop Salem, at least as Ironwood knew of them. And none of them can think of a better solution. So unite the Kingdom against this villain and eventually the world. Difficult but doable.

Now just how long would it take to get everyone back and what did it take to get Amity up and running. Clover being the former military intelligence officer that he was, helps step out the timeline. He consults with Dr. Peitro about Amity and they work to make an approximate schedule for that too.

Now they just need enough time to see it though and make their past experiences work for them.


	21. 35 Support

The fleet had made it back in full force. Winter had returned from Mistral, as the general requested and helped to provide a calming voice to the announcements regarding curfews and changes to rules in Atlas and Mantel. None of this fixed the problems regarding the crumbling walls in Mantle.

There were few things Clover regretted in his life, but grooming a better successor for his position in military intelligence was one of them. Between his time helping to rebuild sections of the walls to helping to orchestrate the needs of the kingdom, securing the walls made the jobs of the huntsmen better and less stressful. Having a safe Mantle supported Atlas as a whole. And yet now there were many holes, when there had once been none just six years prior.

All of this was just made worse, as their nerves were on edge from the threat of an attack which was always a pressing concern. It weighed on him when the Ops were called to look into an unauthorized landing of an Atlas ship in Mantle.

On their way there, alarms for grimm start to go off in some of the streets of Mantle in the area of the unauthorized landing. Clover thought it would bother him more and yet it doesn’t. 

As they head from the transport toward the streets, they see Penny flying overhead. So the grimm should be easily handled and she would report any strange sightings or issues. Clover gets another alert that there are unlicensed Hunters using weapons in the street. The alarms were soon all cleaned and he had not heard from Penny, expecting the incidents to all be related, so he was surprised. Clover realizes that they are close to Peitro’s office in Mantle, so he assumes that she is talking to the good doctor. But when they get there, clearly that is not the case.

From their position, they see Penny talking to a number of young hunters, students most likely, and one adult who seems familiar. Dr. Pietro and an old woman are standing off to the side. A few moments later another alarm sounds in a different sector of Mantle, so he decides that they should get closer to this group. Penny takes off rambling something. 

He then waits for the group to let down their guard and then gives the order to move in. They focus on groups of four at a time, while Clover watches how it plays out, using his luck focused though his horseshoe. He needs to know who all the players are, including the old lady. Once the second team is down, Clover throws the last bola at the oldest in the group who actually fought the grimm.

He is not surprised that he is able to draw his weapon before he hits the ground. Clearly a trained huntsman.

Clover commends his group on their work, as he then sees the huntsman look up at him and complain. “Hey, pal! I'm a licensed Huntsman! Just helped save everyone?”

Clover ignores him as he and the Ops collect their weapons with the help of the Atlesian Knight bots, when he sees the relic on the ground next to a dark hard girl. This is clearly no ordinary group. And if they have a relic, then they must know about magic at least and possible Salem as well.

“Hm. Let's get them loaded into the next transport.” The girl complains about trying to help and that likely is true but they are not licensed to do so. And the general will likely want to see them because of the relic. There is clearly more going on here than he realizes.

Dr. Pietro then jumps into the conversation. He was hoping that he would stay out of this.

Clover informs him, “We heard a report of an unauthorized ship making an unauthorized landing, followed by an unauthorized use of weapons by unlicensed Huntsmen.”

Dr. Pietro tries to defend the group and he needs to get the relic to Ironwood fast. “They'll be able to talk this out once they get to Atlas. Let's move out!”

Clover takes the relic directly to Ironwood, and tells him how he came upon it. Ironwood recognizes immediately who this is.

“It’s Qrow and the students that he was traveling with. You may actually recognize some of them, as they all participated in the Vytle festival at Beacon. Qrow sent me a letter a while back since the CCT is down. They must have run into trouble for the letter to get to me first.” He pauses and takes the relic from Clover. “Have the transport brought directly here to the academy.”

He contacts the transport that the group is on and it is redirected to Atlas Academy.

The Ops all take the weapons that were confiscated to specialized storage and then head back to the Academy, as Ironwood requested. Clover meets the rest of the Ops just outside Ironwood's office and he informs them who the group was and they all are surprised and in some ways excited. Elm and Marrow more so than others.

As he greets them properly, coming out of Ironwood’s office, he tries to apologize, Elm decides it's a good time to share her true feelings of excitement, surprising him, which is unusual especially from her. Penny takes them on a tour of the Academy and to the dorms.

Ironwood informs him that they have been read into the plan for Amity and requests that Clover brief them on the next step, as they needed a larger group for this assault and here walked in one that knows about Salem and magic, so no concerns about covering why they are there in the first place. 

Ironwood asks Clover to partner with Qrow separately and then split the other Ops among the other two groups. Except Oscar, who won’t be joining them since he has not been able to sustain his aura being a new huntsman in training. He shares that Qrow has not been with a team for a long time and that to be traveling with the students is unusual, even if two of them are his nieces. He also warns Clover about Qrow’s drinking habit, but expresses some difference in Qrow when he first arrived since he had not once seen him drink from his flask.

Clover didn’t find anything unusual about the request and agreed to be mindful of the situation. Their deployment to the cave was uneventful and even if Clover caught Qrow from face planting on the ice, he seemed fairly put together, despite Ironwood's concern. But Qrow did share his concern about working on a team verses alone.

As he gets updates from the other teams, the target finds them. 

“This is Alpha! We've engaged the target!” Clover announces into the coms. Qrow fires at the Geist with his shotgun but it avoids the bullets easily. “All squads head toward our position!”

Time to get to work, as he launches Kingfisher to try and snag the Geist and misses. That surprises him but he quickly moves forward to try and slow the Geist down, knowing that the two of them are likely not enough to take it down, especially as it starts embedding ice, rock and dust into its body. Clover continues to attack the Geist head on, knowing that he just needs to keep it preoccupied until the others converge on their location. 

Then he hears Qrow yell. “Wait, stop!”

Clover turns to look at Qrow and notices a beam, which immediately falls, landing between Clover and the Geist. He hears the Geist fall, as the smoke and dust from the partial collapse make it impossible to see, as he coughs on the dust and dirt in the air form the collapse. Once the dust settles, he looks to where the Geist was, and down the hole for which it fell, noticing Qrow standing beside him in his peripheral.

“Darn it.” He then informs the teams “Target escaped, last seen headed east.”

Then he turns to Qrow. “Thanks for the call-out. That could have been bad.” As he kicks a rock in the hole to see how far down it goes.

Then Qrow says something that surprises him. “I wouldn't thank me. My Semblance brings misfortune. Sometimes I can't keep it under control.”

And as Qrow describes his semblance, he now knows why Ironwood requested them together on top of everything else. He smiles to himself a bit at this realization. This was the man that he had heard about from both an academy friend and Ironwood regarding having a luck based semblance. And why Ironwood stated it that way, because it wasn’t good luck like his own. But he felt like they were kindred spirits in a way, as Qrow used the term ‘misfortune’ instead of luck.

“That so?” Qrow looks at him, as he continues to smile. Clover then looks down and checks his Scroll, looking for another path. He then looks up at a support beam next to the hole in the ground, looking to access a nearby tunel. “Well, hey, don't beat yourself up about it.” Clover casts Kingfisher to wrap around the beam and pulls it down forcefully. The beam comes loose and falls into the hole the Geist left.

He then turns to Qrow with a smile, knowing that he has probably never heard of him or knew that there was someone else with a luck based semblance either. “My Semblance is good fortune. Lucky you, huh?” And then he winks at him, almost without thinking. He looks at Qrow for a moment longer, realizing just how amazing it is that he finally got to meet the man that survived bad luck. Clover turns, reaching for his communicator, and glancing to the side at Qrow, noticing that Qrow is staring at him, as he begins to walk away. That was interesting.

But back to work mode. “Charlie, Bravo, you should be able to cut off the target at the heart of the mine. Qrow and I won't be far behind.”

Clover walks further up the path and Qrow catches up shortly thereafter. As they approach the main tunnel, he hears the Ace Ops fighting, so he knows that they are on the right path. As he turns the corner, he hears Marrow shout ‘Crap’ looking up to find a large piece of dust flying in the air directly towards him.

He easily catches it and makes a comment to the team. He then observes the Ops making their moves on the Geist. Clover sees and opening, turns and throws the rock back and Qrow, falling backwards off the ledge and saluting him. Clover laughs internally, as he was showing off and he didn’t know why. He doesn't have time to think about it, as he goes after the Geist. 

Since the incident four years ago, Clover had taken a more supporting role with the Ops, especially after Joto had placed him in that position. And yet here Clover was jumping into the fray and taking the lead. Mind you, they were attacking concurrently so that made it less of an issue but then Clover saw his opening to pull the grimm out of the rock body it made for itself and he took it.

After catching all of the dust fragments, except one, when Ruby was able to grab it, Qrow jumped down next to him and said, “Lucky catch, huh?”

For which he replied, “Hm. No. I'd chalk that one up to talent.” It surprised him that Qrow brought luck into the conversation. Now he was just intrigued with Qrow’s experiences compared to his own.

The assignment to work with Qrow as his partner continued throughout the next few weeks and months. Very quickly, Clover learned Qrow’s style and Clover supported him well, having learned over the past few years how to set up shots for the Ops, doing so for Qrow was just as easy, if not more so, as Qrow had more experience. 

Clover begins to realize that his behavior around Qrow is flirtatious and how attractive Qrow is in many ways. Qrow doesn’t seem to mind and even begins to flirt back the day of the Schnee banquet, which catches him off guard. Was there more going on that even he realized.

He was going to have to wait because now there was a kingdom to save, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t flirt while he was at it.


	22. 36 Blessed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very subtle references to Vol7 Chapter 12. I avoid referring to it directly but do so in some obscure ways.

Clover was blessed. He had a family willing to take him in as a child. He made friends everywhere he went. He was accepted for who he was. People from all walks of life appreciated him and gave him credit where credit was due. He had been helped by others and sought to help others throughout his life, to try and prevent others from going through what he had when he lost his parents.

Now he was blessed yet again with a second chance at life. Accidental, intentional, destiny or fate, no one really knew for sure. The one thing that was certain was that his luck was not in play. The fight to save Atlas and Mantle had taken many twists and turns, all of which he was not present.

But here he was watching in awe as Ironwood, his dear mentor, professor and friend was now acting completely out of the norm. He was no longer the same man he once was. But then Clover wasn’t the same man either.

The fight against Salem wasn’t over and he was still in the dark. Apparently a way to deter her had been discovered and they were looking to implement it. He was just trying to keep up. Winter and the Ace Ops were there, along with all the Ruby and all of the other new hunters, Robyn, the Happy Huntresses and Qrow. 

Clover learned that Qrow was apparently an integral part of the plan but he had not left Clover’ side since he had returned. What was that all about? Then there was a discussion about Qrow’s bird form and then Clover thought for certain that he was hearing things.

Eventually he was able to talk to Qrow about what this was all about.

“So what’s this thing about a bird form?”

Qrow froze. Then after a moment, he turned and sat down across from Clover. “Ah, that’s nothing you need to worry about.”

“Please don’t. Don’t patronize me. I may be a bit lost and still playing catch up but they clearly need you and you are hesitating. Why?”

“You don’t know what you're talking about.” Qrow gets up and makes like he is leaving, but Clover wants answers and he is damned if Qrow is leaving without giving him some answers. Even if that means they have to talk about that night on the ice.

Clover moves to block Qrow’s path. “You’re right I don’t. And I need to. Everyone else has kept their distance from me except you and I want. No. Need to know why.”

Qrow turns back and sits back down in the chair. He puts his hands in his hair. “Fine. So yeah I can turn into a crow thanks to some magic that Oz gave me after we graduated from Beacon to help fight against Salem. Made it easy to spy on her when we blended in with the local creatures. That enough for you?” Qrow looks back up at Clover.

“That’s a start.” Clover sits back down, next to Qrow this time. Just in case he tried to leave again. “What’s this plan that they need you for?”

Qrow leans back in the chair. “We don’t have it all worked out yet but a big part of it hinges on my using my form to infiltrate the whale.”

“You don’t seem so confident about this plan.”

Qrow scoffs. “Is it that obvious?”

“Maybe but I have been listening to this ongoing discussion for the past day and no one has offered an alternative and they seem pretty set on your part.”

“They are but I’m not.”

“Why?”

Qrow starts to stand and Clover grabs his arm and Qrow looks directly at Clover and sits back down. “Please don’t make me talk about this. I am going to do what they ask, I am just trying not to think about what could happen if things go wrong.” 

Clover can almost see tears in Qrow’s eyes and it reminds him of a memory he can’t quite place, all the while breaking his heart, seeing him so vulnerable.

“Fine. I won’t push it for now. But this is not the last time that I will be asking about this before you have to leave.” Qrow nods and then looks away. They sit in silence for a moment. Then Clover remembered his other question. “So why is everyone keeping their distance from me?”

Qrow was jumped a smidge at this question and Clover only noticed because he was still holding onto Qrow’s arm. “Can we table that for after this battle?”

“No. My own team is near ignoring me and most of the kids will at least say hi and talk to me and check on me. What the hell happened?”

Qrow sighed. “Let’s just say that the Ace Ops didn’t join us in the beginning and were still following Ironwood’s Orders, until one by one, they slowly saw what he was doing was immoral or wrong. As Marrow tells it, James shot and killed councilman Slate. That was the beginning of the end.” Qrow shudders and takes a deep breath. “I know that James and I didn’t always see eye to eye but that was low even for him. But I suppose after shooting Oscar it must have seemed easy.”

“He shot Oscar?”

“Yeah. But Harriet blamed me for what happened to you, while Marrow and Elm doubted it, believing Robyn and Vine, well he was silent on the matter.” Qrow took another deep breath. “But because of Harriet’s anger and mine, it has inadvertently led to you being here.” Qrow turned to look at Clover for the first time during this response, like he wasn’t sure he was really there.

Clover met Qrow’s eyes and something stirred in him, recognizing that he still had feelings for Qrow that he had never resolved. But he still had questions. “So you brought me back?”

Qrow turned to look at the floor. “I suppose that’s one way of looking at it.”

“What happened that night on the tundra?”

Now Qrow was angry. He stood up and wretched his arm free of Clover’s grasp. “I really don’t want to relive that nightmare, if you don’t mind. And it doesn’t matter anymore. You’re back.”

“But it matters to me. I really need to talk about this.”

“Well I Don’t! I would rather talk about why I worry about this crazy plan of theirs.”

“Then Pick One! Because not talking and avoiding talking about these things is driving me crazy!”

Qrow stared in shock at Clover’s outburst. He had not expected Clover to be angry about this compared to the fallen city of Atlas, the state of Mantle and what James had done. And his own anger just got worse.

“Fine. I worry that if I go into that thing that there is no coming back. Despite all of their great plans and backup plans, I suspect that my semblance will activate at the wrong time against me and I won’t make it back out. And then I won’t get to...”

Clover was still angry and despite hearing Qrow voice concerns over his own potential death, that had always been a possibility their whole lives, so why was it now more of a concern. “Won’t get to what?”

“This is stupid.” Qrow made to leave and Clover didn’t bother aiming for the door but grabbed Qrow this time, ready for a fight if needed. And Qrow did fight back but only minimally so. 

As Clover held Qrow by both shoulders. “Tell Me! What is so important that you don’t want to risk your life to help save the world?!”

“You. Are you happy now?”

“What?! Me?!” Clover was so confused and his anger was dissipating because this made so little sense, as he let his hands slide down Qrow’s arms.

“Clover, I...oh screw it.” Qrow reaches forward to cup Clover’s face in his hand and kisses him. Clover is even more shocked but at the same time is feeling sparks as he quickly begins kissing back, reaching up to put his hand in Qrow’s hair. Qrow pulls back and lets go of Clover entirely and takes a step back. “That was not what I was expecting.”

“Qrow. We had been flirting with each other since at least a week before the Schnee banquet. And I had been flirting with you since that first mission in the caves. I thought I was being obvious.”

“I think that I was being an idiot with withdrawal symptoms so it wasn’t exactly easy for me to recognize.”

“Wait? This is why you are worried about their plan? Because I’m here now, again.”

“When you realize too late that you care about someone deeply and then they walk back into your life, it tends to put a different spin on dangerous missions.”

Clover thought for a moment how he had been wanting this relationship too. He also didn’t want to throw it away. “Then how about you and I work together to make sure that you get out of that whale.”

“What do you mean?”

“Once you’re inside and finish the task, they are going to know that you are there. So how about I come back you up, when the time comes, since I doubt that they would expect you to have or need help.”

“All you would need is a way up?”

“And I already have one in mind. But to be honest,” Clover takes a few steps closer to Qrow, “I would rather spend a bit more time doing other things first.” He places his hands on Qrow’s hip and slides it to the small of his back and cups his face. Qrow immediately nuzzles into his hand.

“I mean, I know I’m good but…” Clover decides he has had enough time waiting and interrupts Qrow by kissing him and Qrow kisses back, eagerly. 

They later work out the logistics for the rest of the plan with Clover’s help and how to get Clover to help out Qrow when he would likely need it the most. During which everyone comes around and finds their own way to talk to him, since his appearance is both a point of joy and sadness for everyone.

Yet Clover was being blessed again and in multiple ways. There was a plan to push back Salem, he had his life back and he had someone amazing that he wanted to share it with


	23. 37 Worn

It was over. For now. 

Salem had left rather hastily after the fight for Atlas and the relics were clearly not in her favor. Even with the relics interacting in unexpected ways that no one could have predicted, there was still no way to kill Salem. The whale grimm had been destroyed, as had most of the army that Salem had brought with her.

But they were all worn out. There were so many lost in the fight. And the victory was short lived when the cost still seemed too high. Less so than if Ironwood had abandoned Mantle but more than just hunters and military personnel had lost their lives. 

Clover could not grasp the state of Atlas, as it seemed so surreal. This was not a site that he ever thought he would ever see, as Atlas was no longer a floating city in the sky.

But they had little time left to pull themselves together. As Vacuo would easily be the next target and they needed to get there as quickly as possible to subvert any plans that Salem or her minions had.

Despite their best attempts. Amity wasn’t in the air yet and that was probably a good thing so that Salem didn’t make it a target, so they could easily continue with that project after the initial demands were met.

The gang was trying to pack light and some of them were succeeding while others were failing miserably. Clover knew that he felt a sense of duty to Atlas but after working with the young hunters and Qrow especially, his duty and his heart lay elsewhere. Now if only he had the heart to tell Winter and Ops what he had decided.

But apparently none of them were surprised and all wished him well. 

So he packed for Vacuo as well and then looked into what they would need to be prepared for the worst case scenario and asked for the equipment to be sent to travel with them. The hoover bikes were a no brainer but they were going to need some way to deal with the sand. So he retrieved a plethora of Atlas tech that was not needed for repairs or rebuilding of Atlas and Mantle and did his best to retrieve it himself, with a little help from some of the group to avoid having to disrupt the progress that Atlas was making to get back on its feet.

Most of the tech they needed was only used for hunters and military assignments to other kingdoms anyway. Clover did request for a single plan with Atlesian Knight pilots to avoid using any actual people for the trip. Winter helped Clover get it arranged while working with the Acting General.

Then he had to consider what could be worn in Vacuo compared to what he and the others were wearing in Atlas. They were about to make a major shift in environment and temperatures so this was something that needed to be considered. After Penny shared on the fly a place to look thought Dr. Pietro’s files for the new outfits he had designed for Vacuo for all of the teams, it was just a matter of helping the progress along and adding in one for himself. He was surprised to find that there was a partial design in the system for himself. Clover just shook his head at the awareness of the good doctor. Must be nice to have that kind of foresight.

Once he gathered the necessary materials, he figured out how to make the machines do the rest. He was always mindful not to take anything that was needed elsewhere in the cities and with a little luck it worked out pretty well.

He packed all of their new equipment, clothing and supplies needed for the desert and had them delivered and stored on the ship.

Now if only he could rangle the gaggle of teenagers to do so in a similar fashion. He didn’t know how Qrow did this day and day out. He got worn out just watching them sometimes. 

It was almost time to go, so he packed the few items of his own that he wanted to take with him and retrieved a couple special items that he specifically had made from a local artisan who was not busy due to the state of the cities and was happy for the work. Qrow was going to like this and hopefully the worn and aged look was appreciated.


	24. 38 Journey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had this beauty ready to go last night but my oldest child had a bad dream and wanted me to lay with her in bed. Low and behold, I found her sister, my youngest in her bed and woke her up by accident while trying to comfort the older. So I then got tag teamed by my daughters and I wound up falling asleep in their bed and waking up and some unknown number of hours later, where I just turned off the lights that were still one and went back to my bed. So now you get a two for today. Enjoy!

Their journey to free the world from Salem was finally over. But unfortunately his personal journey was not. 

And for now they all just needed to take a beat and process everything that they had been through. They needed to rest, grieve and address their needs now that the immediate threat was no more. Clover was no exception.

The journey to Vacuo, then to Patch, then to Beacon was necessary but tiering. And then having to travel after was worse.

Qrow nearly died in the last fight and he needed some major surgery shortly after, which he got but he was still recovering from all of it and wasn't able to move around much or do all the things that he wanted to do. He was stuck in his room, mostly, for at least a month and then slowly allowed to move around more and more. But Clover was more than happy to be there for him. However, balancing between being helpful when Qrow needed it and being overbearing was challenging but necessary since Qrow never wanted to ask for anything. And as he told Clover he didn't want to be a burden and Clover had told Qrow, he wasn't a burden just someone who needed a little help to get back to normal when no one would ever help him again. Unless he asked nicely.

During which time, Clover had his own struggles regarding what he wanted to do with his life. He didn't know what he was to Qrow and despite clearly having a relationship they had not defined it. So he was worried that he had fallen for someone that didn't feel the same way. And with Qrow recovering, this was not the time to bring it up.

So Clover was stuck trying to figure out what his next journey in life would be on his own. He imagined a lot of them with Qrow but felt obligated to consider a few without. It was always in his nature to plan for multiple situations and this seemed no different. It was just a lot more personal that he was used to.

He thought about the best situations where they would have the conversation and decide that they were meant for each other, then work up his courage to say that he loved him, eventually propose, get married and maybe raise a few kids. This always made his heart flutter and feel so full and he wanted to hold onto this possibility with all of his being.

Then he thought about the more indecisive conversations where Qrow was less inclined to share his feelings and maybe not as invested as Clover. Those thoughts were very worrisome but he could work with that. 

Yet the two scenarios that he is imagined without Qrow were hard to think about. He worried about his long-term health and the recent surgery and what if Qrow died before his time? Or worse, what if he had that conversation and Qrow decided that he was not interested in a long term relationship because Clover was just a convenient distraction during all of this fighting. 

He hated that he kept focusing on the last two. He wanted the first outcome so badly but he worried so much that perhaps he was too eager or too needed and would just push Qrow away. Clover was usually so confident and as much as it pained him, he recognized in himself that he was worried about losing someone he cared about deeply all over again. 

Even 12 years later, some trauma lingers in the background until you least expect it and then it throws itself in front of you, blinding you to what is really happening. He hated admitting that this past experience was clouding his judgement and his understanding of their relationship. And he hadn’t told Qrow yet about it, afraid of what it would drum up in the process. Maybe that was where he needed to start to help bring about the necessary conversation.

It was all going to have to wait. Qrow slept a lot as part of his recovery process and even with Jaune’s help, some things just took time. Clover was patient and did everything that he could to help Qrow along the way.

Tai even approached him asking about what Qrow was to him and he almost lost it. He kept his cool and despite some awkward discussion, it seemed that Tai wasn’t giving him a shovel talk but learning more about him, based solely on what Ruby and Yang had told him. That was fair and he did his best to take it in stride. In some ways Tai gave him hope that he wasn’t misreading their relationship at this point but he still needed to hear it from Qrow.

Clover’s journey wasn’t over and he was hoping that this future discussion would help determine his future trajectory and that the next journey in his life, and hopefully the best one, would be with Qrow.


	25. 39 Home

Clover had let Qrow heal and recover over the course of a few months and kept avoiding that ever so important conversation. Qrow had not addressed it either but he had also not kicked Clover to the curb, so clearly this was something between them just not as defined as Clover would have preferred.

Qrow shared with Clover that he wanted to feel some sort of normalcy and after feeling like a weakling for months due to his recovery, he really needed to build up his strength again. Qrow had worked out a lot shortly after the doctors had given him permission to exercise, but Clover was certain that he had started before that. Either way, Qrow was masterfully using Harbinger again and Clover still would never get enough of watching Qrow wield it like he was dancing. 

Ruby had commented once when Clover was watching Qrow back in Patch, sharing that his master skill with his weapon was one of the reasons that she decided to take it up. Qrow had helped her design and create Crescent Rose way back when. Clover described his ability to flow from one attack to the next was like dancing and she agreed having called it that before when she was younger. It was nice to bond with her, especially after she dropped the Uncle Clover term while they were here last time. Qrow had laughed but had not addressed the term. Clearly he was good in the families opinion but it was Qrow who he really needed to hear from.

So here there were, having taken a mission and low and behold what happened. Clover and Qrow found an orphan boy. He missed hearing the voice but Qrow narrowed in on it and between the two of them they were able to coax him out of his hiding spot with some food.

They took him home and gave him more food but he was very quiet and reserved, reminding him of another fairly quiet person. Eventually Clover suggested a bath, since the boy was clearly filthy, with grey and brown dirt covering him from head to toe, which took a little convincing but once they showed him the bubbles, he seemed to enjoy it. They got him into some of Yang’s old clothes and then showed him the beautiful solstice lights and decorations that were hung up around the Patch house.

After attempting to find the boy’s family in any number of the missing person databases and asking in the smaller surrounding villages, for which they were unsuccessful, they grew quickly attached. Clover was able to work with the boy while he was coloring one day, since he loved to color and determine from a picture his name. Jay. Maybe a bit of luck helped him but he noticed that they had not called him by a name and referred to him in odd ways. Jay had given him the biggest hug and Clover quickly shared it with everyone.

Later on during the year, he came into the kitchen while Jay was coloring to see Qrow working on a large stack of papers that were definitely not student work. He inquired to find out that Qrow was filing to officially adopt Jay. Clover didn’t think twice to ask to be added as well and Qrow didn’t object. The idea that they were going to be listed as parents together gave him great hope about this undefined relationship that they had. 

Later that week, after they had been intimate, Clover finally said “I love you.” And to his surprise Qrow said it back and Clover couldn’t have been happier. This led to the conversation that they had both been avoiding. Clover learned that Qrow had also been uncertain of their relationship after the war had been won. After sharing their feelings and perceptions and apologizing for keeping to themselves verses sharing it with each other they both agreed to never do that again.

Clover decided that this was the best outcome he could have ever imagined. He decided that getting married would likely be next on the list, so Clover bought a ring a few weeks later and then held onto it as he worked up the courage to ask and hoped to find the right time.

A month after their shared ‘I love you,’ Qrow asked Clover to join him for a walk around the lake near the house in Patch and so he did, since Jay was playing with Ruby. Qrow was quiet at first and then started talking about how special this place was to him. Patch was home for Qrow for such a long time. He had helped build this home with the only family that had ever meant anything to him.

Clover shared that home had always been Atlas in some shape and form, even if a small part of him knew that wasn’t entirely true. He had shared with Qrow the story about his first love and explained that Argus was his home at that time because that was where Jacek lived. Qrow inquired where Clover wanted to live now and where was home for him now.

Clover hadn’t considered that. He had fallen for Qrow over a year ago, sometime when they were in Vacuo, he realized it during the fight against Salem’s forces. They were working seamlessly and utilizing their respective luck to influence and turn the battle to their favor, when Clover looked over at Qrow and saw the grin on his face as they fought against the odds. Clover’s heart just melted and with that knowledge he fought better adding the additional emotion and adrenaline to help him make some of the best attacks and fight the best fight of his life.

But during the last fight at Beacon, he was so distraught when he thought that he lost Qrow, using every ounce of his luck to save him. Whether it was luck or not, Qrow had survived and he had not left his side because of how much Qrow meant to him. 

Even when he thought of the possible bad outcomes of their relationship, he didn’t know what he had wanted to do after. The questions about where he would go or what he wanted to do were all left unanswered. And now he knew why. 

Home wasn’t necessarily a physical place. And in retrospect when Jacek was a big part of his life, it wasn’t Argus that was home it was wherever Jacek was. And now was no different. Home was with Qrow, wherever that took them. They had traveled across the globe and back in just a few years and as long as he was with Qrow, he had been happy and content. 

Now he truly understood the old saying, “Home is where the heart is.” It was most definitely true for Clover.

Qrow continued to talk about all of his memories here, both good and bad, but recalling that the good always won out, especially with the girls around all of the time. Now it was special since he had Clover and Jay.

Qrow got a bit fidgety and Clover decided to share with him what he had been thinking about.  
“Qrow, my home will always be with you and Jay.”

Then Qrow does something that he doesn’t see coming. “Care to make it official?”

Clover looks at Qrow wide eyed and very clearly following the intent. Did Qrow just…

Qrow gets down on one knee and pulls out and opens a small box with a ring in it. “Will you marry me?”

Clover didn’t think that Qrow had it in him to be so forth coming but clearly this was not a spur of the moment thing, as there was a ring in his hand. Clover put a hand on his chest, certain that his heart was about to burst out of it. And without too much delay he responded, “Yes! Absolutely yes!”

Qrow put the ring on Clover’s finger and Clover pulled Qrow up into a kiss as quickly as he could. After kissing for a bit, Clover pulled back muttering against Qrow’s lips. “God why did I wait so long?!”

“What do you mean?”

Clover steps back and pulls out a small black box of his own. “It’s yours if you’ll have me?”

“Didn’t we already do this?” Qrow gives Clover his hand.

“Yes but you beat me to the punch.” Clover puts the ring on his finger.

“Better luck next time.”

“I’m hoping there won’t be a next time.”

“Me either.”

They kiss again, much more heated and sensual.

Once they head back to the house, discussion ensues about when and where they should get married, holding hands the whole way back. Qrow plays with the ring on Clover’s finger the whole way.

They share the great news with their family, as Tai, Ruby, Yang and Blake are present along with Jay. Everyone congratulates them. Jay, a boy of few words just hugs them and then draws another picture of the three of them together but this time with more emphasis on the rings on his dad’s hands.

Clover realizes more and more that even if this house and everything in it burned to the ground that Home was never really a place for him. In his whole life it had always been within his heart. Until his heart belonged to someone else. And now his heart was split into many pieces as this extended family had become his home, but Qrow would always hold the biggest piece. As long as he was with him, he would always feel at home.


	26. 40 Holiday

Qrow had taken some time off to travel for their special holiday together. And this was no ordinary holiday, since Clover and Qrow had just gotten married. 

They had a small gathering of family and friends to their outdoor wedding in Patch, while inviting a few select people from Beacon, Atlas, Mantle, Vacuo, Haven, Mistral and Menagerie. 

Jay loved being included in the preparations, having shared his excitement of seeing his dad’s get married and drawing all sorts of pictures, some with either or both of his dad’s in dresses. Clover thought it was cute and Qrow thought it was silly but they eventually showed Jay what they were going to wear. 

It had been a special day with lots of happy tears and well wishes from everyone. Now it was time for them to take their honeymoon. After much deliberation they finally settled on spending half of their vacation in Mistrial and half in Argus. They went during the summer so that it was a little warmer to Qrow’s liking. 

Clover had not been to Mistrial before so he was eager to see it and Qrow was happy to show him around. They had a really good time trying out local cuisine, for which Qrow had been missing and just spending time together for fun. They had not really done anything like this previously and it was like seeing a new side of Qrow. 

They ran into some old acquaintances of Qrow’s who complimented him on how he looked good and all of them invited him for drinks of which Qrow was practiced at turning them down politely. All of them seemed surprised but supportive and some offered to catch up over coffee and exchange scroll contacts. Qrow expressed concern about interrupting their time together after the fourth person they had run into but Clover shared that he was happy to see him reconnecting with good people. 

Their late evenings were a lot of fun too and they once got adventurous enough to once partake in the woods, as was Qrow’s preference for the night. And the next day they headed to Argus.

Once there, Clover showed Qrow around. Qrow had been here a few times for a job but never for fun or pleasure so this was a good way to show Qrow all his favorite places. Food was another area that they rather enjoyed partaking in. 

Then on their last night in Argus a terrible storm. The next morning they quickly jumped in to help find survivors. They also extended their leave to help with the clean up and trying to find survivors.

They learned about some sisters that had lost their parents. Azalea and Tansy, 12 and 10 years old were temporarily stuck with them at their hotel since there was nowhere else they could go for the night. 

After doing some searches in the database, they determined that the girls didn’t have any other relatives. But with Jay being stuck at home with Tai and kids, Qrow had to return home without him, as he continued to find a good home for them, preferably together.

After a thorough search they learned that they didn’t have any relatives. So when Clover spoke to the headmaster at Haven, she was more than willing to take them, so Clover brought them to the headmaster and they wanted nothing to do with her. One hid behind him and one clung to his arm, both pleading to go with him. And as he looked down at them and straight into their eyes, he saw himself for a moment, as his own childhood came clearly into view when his own parents died prematurely. He looked back at the headmaster and apologized and she smiled, taking no offense. As the three of them walked back out of the school, he called Qrow on his scroll and told him what happened and how he thinks it is better for the girls to come back to Patch with him. Qrow doesn’t object but there is a snarkiness in his voice that he can’t quite make out, but he dismisses it. In retrospect, it was at this point that he had already decided that the girls were going to be theirs.

Clover and the girls return to a strange discussion about the house. Apparently Tai is offering it to him versus Qrow looking for a new place. After some convincing arguments, Tai moves out a week later having signed over the ownership to him and Qrow.

Within a few weeks, Clover brought home the paperwork to adopt the girls and Qrow didn’t even bat an eye when he began going through this process a second and third time.

Months passed and the kids surprised them with a small party on Father’s day. Despite having been dad’s to Jay for nearly a year, they had not celebrated it among themselves. Yet here their daughters and son put together a pretty big event for kids their age, to find that Ruby had helped along with her friends. Clover noticed it has Weiss’s prints all over it.

Clover didn’t necessarily feel like he deserved it but listening to the kids share why they wanted to do this and how happy they were here with them versus orphans in Argus brought him to tears each time. Jay was a kid of few works but knew how to write and the letter that he wrote that Ruby read out loud was moving. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house afterwards. 

Cake was cut and shared, as presents were handed out. They were the great cheesing kid gifts that only the parents wanted to keep. Clover loved them all. This was a memory that he wanted to cherish forever.

Clover could not quite get over how their holiday’s had changed their lives so drastically. The first one led them to Jay close to the Winter Solstice. The Second ended up with the addition of two daughters and the house in Patch to family and home. The third helped them both understand just how important they were to all of their kids. Sometimes the best things in life don’t come in small packages.


	27. 41 Cold

Clover loved the cold since he always ran hot. He had adjusted to Patch’s warmer climate but he always looked forward to the fall and winter. There was now snow on the ground and he was looking forward to taking the kids out to go play in the snow and maybe build something.

Qrow tended to avoid the cold and almost refused to leave the house unless he had to and Clover was fine with that. He was more than happy to warm him up every night when he needed it.

But when he went to invite the girls to go outside to play, they both seemed despondent. He let it go and went out with Jay where they built a snowman and made snow angels. When they came back inside, he asked if they wanted to go out later and they again dismissed him. He inquired what was wrong, for which both claimed it was nothing. So he went to find Qrow, who was in the living room under a fuzzy blanket. 

“Have the girls spoken to you today?”

“No, but that isn’t unusual. Is something wrong?”

“I’m not sure but if you would keep an eye out.”

“Always.”

They went through the rest of the day with minimal issues but this lack of communication continued for the better part of the week. Clover started to get really worried. 

He was in bed, snuggled up with Qrow, his head on Qrow’s shoulder. 

“I can hear you thinking. What’s going on in that handsome head of yours?”

Clover sighed. “It’s the girls. They have been giving me the cold shoulder for most of the week and I don’t want to press the issue because we both know that they have been through a lot. They have only been with us for a little over a year and we definitely don’t know everything about them.”

“Something you want me to do?”

“I don’t know yet. I am not sure how to best approach this.”

“Maybe Blake or Ruby could help?”

“You know that’s a good idea. Since they have both bonded with them that might be an approach that won’t be invasive.” Qrow reached over and grabbed his scroll. “You’re not going to call them right now?”

“No, but I can message them and see if they are available tomorrow or the day after, before they make too many plans.”

“Good! I didn’t want to give up our time this evening.” Clover starts kissing on Qrow’s neck.

“I would never dream of it since we get so little of it with three kids in the house.” Qrow leans down and pulls Clover’s face to his own and kisses him. ”You got something in mind?”

“Indeed I do.”

The next day Blake came over after Qrow and Clover told them what was going on. Blake had gotten concerned and changed her plans to make sure that she could join them for lunch and for some time after. She followed the girls up to their room, which they had not really left much this past week.

A few hours later, Clover was pacing in the kitchen, so that the girls wouldn’t see him right away if they came downstairs. He knew that he shouldn’t be worrying but he had really connected with the girls so much in the beginning and it had continued for nearly the past year and then there was this sudden change. OR was it? He couldn’t remember. 

He had started working part time at Beacon during the school day and the occasional project in the evening or weekend. It was fairly new but it never interfered with anything that the kids needed. So was it related or was it something else? Either way, he worried. 

It was unlike him but then again this was not a battlefield or an assignment from his CO. No this was parenthood. And unlike any other potential job title, this one didn’t come with a playbook and it was susceptible to complete and utter chaos. As well as the possibility of causing long term harm if you were not careful. Unlike most of the adults who he had worked with, children were not as self aware or disciplined. But they were still developing and finding themselves. They had already experienced enough loss and trauma in their lives. He only hoped that he would not add to it.

Qrow caught him pacing. “Will you stop that? When you worry too much, then I begin to worry. Besides, Blake has had her fair share of problems and is really good with kids. I mean, look at the work she has done with the orphanage in Menagerie. Those kids loved her and she found all of them loving homes.”

Qrow was right and so he finally stopped pacing. “I just wish it could be me that they would talk to.”

“Come in here and sit with me.” Qrow motioned to the couch in the living room. Clover followed without thinking and sat next to Qrow, and tilted his head onto Qrow’s shoulder, who put an arm around his back and pulled him into a side hug. “I know that I can’t stop you from thinking about all the bad things that could happen, so let me focus on the good things.” Clover just shook his head, as he closed his eyes, enjoying the comfort that Qrow’s voice brought him.

“They have a happy home, parents who love them, a warm roof over their heads, food in their bellies, friends, school that they enjoy, a brother who adores them and vice versa, cousins and extended family who treat them like their own kids. All of these things have helped them deal with their grief and loss and learn to move forward with their lives despite the loneliness, sadness and pain.”

“Now you are talking from experiences that both of us have had and we have shared with them. Well a number of them anyway. It just doesn’t make sense.”

“When dealing with kids, it rarely does.”

As luck would have it, Blake came down the stairs followed by Azalea and Tansy. Blake prompted them. “They have something that they want to talk to you about.”

Azalea spoke first. “Umm...We..umm...we want to know...oh this is so hard.” 

Blake came and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You can do it. Your dad’s love you so much and want you to be happy, I promise.”

Azalea tried again. “We want to know what happened to all of our parents' stuff?”

Tansy then spoke up. “We have many things and memories in that house and…”

“and when we left with you, we didn’t get the chance to go back and save the things that we really wanted. And now that we have been here for a year, we realized how much we missed it and…” Tears started forming in her eyes. “And we don’t want…” She starts crying at this point.

Then Tansy blurts out as a half sob. “We are starting to forget them!”

Clover and Qrow move at the same time each grabbing one of the girls into their arms to comfort them, and show just how much they are cared for and how important it is to talk about these things even when they are painful. Clover ends up hugging Azalea as she is calming down, tears in his own eyes and glances over at Qrow and Tansy, who are also locked in a hug, and Qrow has tears streaming down his face and a hand covering his eyes. Even when no one else can see, he tends to hide his fierce emotions.

Blake quietly leaves without saying goodbye, recognizing a special family bonding moment when she sees one. 

Once the girls have calmed down enough to listen, the four of them sit on the couch together and Clover shares how he contacted the neighbor that had helped himself and Qrow find them about maintaining the house while they were gone. 

“We were not sure when or if you would ever be ready to go back. Everyone processes grief differently and when you stayed with us, you seemed reluctant to go back for even clothing. So we didn’t push. We had planned on asking you about it but the timing never seemed right. Next thing we know, it's months and now more than a year later and we haven’t gone back.” Clover pulls out his scroll and shows them photos. “Your neighbor has sent me photos every month to keep me updated on any damage or repairs that need done. And I send him payments for maintaining the house and pay for the repairs.”

The girls both look at the photos stunted and then Azalea says, “Really? You send him money to take care of things?”

“Absolutely. He is doing all the chores that no one is there to do and that takes time, so I feel that he should be compensated.”

“I didn’t know you could get paid to do someone else’s chores.” And Tansy’s sense of humor takes the edge off the conversation.

The girls admit to avoiding talking to them because they were scared that asking about their first parents because they didn’t want to hurt Clover or Qrow. And they were concerned that they would be angry if they asked about getting some of their stuff. Tansy was concerned that it had all been pitched in the trash like their history didn’t matter. 

Clover understood what they were feeling and explained how cold hearted that would have been, referring to his own parents passing and how important those memories were for him.

Shortly after they assuaged their fears and concerns, they made a plan to travel up to Argus in the next few weeks and visit their old house and collect their personal belongings, any and all that they wanted. They also discussed making a regular trip to the house twice a year or more often and the girls loved the thought. But also shared their concern about having two houses. Clover told them that it was not something that they should ever worry about.

Despite the cold weather, they take the whole family on the trip to Argus and the down memory lane, as the girls share tidbits of their childhood with everyone. Everyone shares in a good cry and they all work together to help the girls remember their roots. Every family is unique, but this patchwork family is a lot more diverse than most.


	28. 42 Wish

Clover was cleaning to have a party for Jay’s birthday party. They didn’t really know when his birthday was, so they celebrated the day he became a part of their lives each year. Azalea and Tansy had made it a big deal to celebrate everyone’s birthday since they first came to live with them. It was a small slice of normal from their former lives.

Tansy had to teach Jay what it meant to make a wish before blowing out the candles. It was so cute to see Jay try and understand that his wish would only come true if he kept it a secret. Although it was the cutest thing that Jay was having a hard time as he told Tansy that he didn’t need to wish for anything because he had everything that he wanted right here. 

Clover wanted to melt into the floor as he heard Jay say that and he turned to Qrow who also had the softest expression on his face. He melted even more as he fell in love with Qrow all over again. It was moments like this that made him so thankful for his life and just how privileged that this was his life. 

He realized that his own birthday was coming up soon and if he had to make a wish for something he wanted, it would never be for himself. He would wish for the kids to be happy and healthy. He would wish for him and Qrow to continue to be happy, healthy and have long lives, mostly so that they could be there for the kids. He would also wish that they continued to be good parents for kids and help them succeed in any way that they could. That was a lot more than he originally thought he would have come up with.

Later that night they went out for a walk right before dark, as they liked to do as a family. The kids really liked taking a walk around the pond and regularly asked about how Qrow and Clover got together and how they proposed to each other. This always made him smile. 

He was certain that he or Qrow would get tired of telling the story but in some ways it just made them closer and a lot more sappy. Although Qrow would never admit to such a thing. If they were not already holding hands or somehow touching each other this prompted that to change. And the kids never ceased to comment on how cute or romantic there were. At least they didn’t think it was gross. Even on the rare occasion that the kids caught them kissing or being a slight bit more handsy, they didn’t seem to mind. 

But tonight after the kids asked and they told their story, yet again, Jay surprised them when he asked, “What’s that?” Looking up at the night sky.

They all looked up to see what looked like a few failing stars. “Those are meteors pieces falling down to Remnant and as they enter our atmosphere they are burning up and that makes them look like streaks across the sky. They are often referred to as shooting stars.”

“You make wishes on shooting stars don’t you?” Jay asked.

Clover and Qrow exchanged looks and Qrow responded. “You can, but you don’t have to.”

Jay looked down and then looked back up. “I want to.” He closed his eyes then stared at the sky.

Clover just stared in awe and he seemed to stand there for at least a minute.

He then shared his wish, which no one told him that most lore suggests that wishes have to be secret. But his wishes were very similar to Clover’s. He wished for the family to be happy and to be with him for the rest of his life. Clearly not exactly the way it worked but he appreciated the sentiment nonetheless.

Azalea and Tansy both love on him and comment how amazing and cute he is and Clover would have to agree. Azalea and Tansy also shared similar wishes. Even Qrow shared his opinion regarding his own hopes for the future.

Wishes or not, Clover felt like he was benefiting from some of the best people in all of Remnant. If the continued peace in the world stuck around then he would never have to leave his idea of a picture perfect family and help make their wishes come true.


	29. 43 Love

Love was not something that everyone receives in life. Some grow up in troubled homes or environments where love is a foreign concept. Some never find love outside their home and live lonely lives. Others still find love to be a silly concept. 

Clover could have been one of those people but he was privileged to have loved and be loved many times over in his life. And right now was no exception. But he wanted others to share in this feeling, so he decided to meddle a little where maybe he normally wouldn’t have.

In this case, he decided to give Ruby a hand. She and Oscar were dancing around their relationship and not in an obvious way. Ruby was traveling the world and doing what she felt was needed of her to rid the world of every last grimm pool. Oscar originally traveled with her but then after a year of doing so decided that he was done with that and wanted a simpler life, settling down in Haven to work as a local Huntsman taking jobs from the local board and apprentice at the school to be a teacher.

Ruby had been calling them a lot more often and even though she almost always called Qrow, she had started calling Clover when Qrow told her he was too busy with his kids and students to deal with Ruby’s issues that he had counseled her on many times before. Qrow was also upset at Ruby canceling plans on Tansy at the last minute, when she knew that she wasn’t going to make it days before. Clover recalled the discussion afterwards and the statement, “Ruby can either live like a hero and get all the glory or she can settle down like the rest of us and let the next generation figure it out. I shouldn’t have to pick up the pieces when Ruby lets her down.” Qrow wasn’t wrong but he was also angry at the time.

So Ruby started calling Clover to check in on the family and occasionally talk to Tansy. Clover was okay with that to a degree but he requested that Ruby stop making plans with Tansy and just show up and surprise her when she could and Roby agreed. 

But on this particular occasion, Ruby called in tears. Once he got her to calm down enough, she shared a tragic story in a village in south Anima regarding a couple where one of them died before their time and another where one died the day before their wedding. So Clover delved deeper to find out that Ruby was having a little crisis of her own. She was so focused on helping the world that she was loosing sight of who she was as a person. Clover recommended that she come home and stay for a while, finishing up any outstanding jobs that she had and NOT take any new ones, for which she agreed. 

Once Ruby came home and spent some time with their family and Tai, it was obvious that she was lost. Clover called Oscar and asked him if he would come visit next week, of which he was more than happy to oblige, despite not knowing Clover’s true reason.

When Oscar comes over, Ruby is out with Tansy training, so Clover chat’s with him about his work at Beacon and they compare notes between the two schools. They are sitting on the couch when Ruby walks in see’s Oscar and freezes as he turns to look at her.

Oscar doesn’t seem too surprised, as it had come up that she did visit to work with Tansy previously but clearly Ruby wasn’t expecting him. After saying hello he turned back to Clover to continue their conversation. Ruby collected herself and followed Tansy up stairs but never took her eyes off Oscar until she was up the stairs. 

Oscar was staying in town for a few days and agreed to come visit since Jay had wanted to see him again but he had been in school. After Oscar leaves, Ruby comes flying down the stairs.

“Why was he here?”

“I asked him to come visit to tell me more about Haven in relation to my work for Beacon. Is there a problem?”

“No. Uhg...maybe. I don’t know.” She then started pacing, something he had never seen her do during the war. Her travels after had really affected her. “I didn’t know what to expect when I saw him again. But I didn’t expect this.”

“Expect what?”

Ruby goes in great detail of what had happened on her travels with Oscar and what caused him to leave. It was not the story that he had heard from Qrow previously. Apparently Oscar had confessed to her but she didn’t know what to say and after not responding for over a week, he just up and left, not telling her where he was going and promising to be in touch. He did finally get back in touch with her about a month later from Haven. 

She had realized that she did in fact love him but his sudden disappearance left her with no way to follow or talk to him and by the time that he did, she didn’t know what to say. So she dove into her work and ignored the feelings that she wanted to share with him. Now, seeing them again, they all came back to her in a sudden rush. It was terrifying and she didn’t know what to do. Clover suggested a simple conversation over lunch or a coffee. She took to the idea and ran with it. 

Shortly after speaking with Ruby, he got a call from Oscar and he was telling him that he was going to have to head back to Haven sooner than expected and would have to visit again some other time. Clover asked about when his flight back was and wished him a safe trip. Then he went up and pulled Ruby aside and told her to go now and catch him before his transport. And she did just that.

With a limited time table, and Clover suspecting that Oscar didn’t have to go back to work, Ruby was able to make her own confession this time. Oscar had tried to move on, was shocked and surprised by Ruby’s presence as well and his thoughts of her were surrounded by those same feelings, he just hid it better. 

They both returned to the house that night to share their good news and Clover was a little pleased with himself, having helped someone else find their own love.


	30. 30 Free - Anniversary

Clover was a sap and he knew it. Despite Qrow’s loving jabs at him, Clover could not deny it. So when they were coming up on their fourth anniversary, Clover knew that they had to do something special. Despite not being superstitious, he did like to follow tradition. Maybe it was his military background regarding routine. But more likely it was because he was a sap.

He celebrated the birthdays and the little victories like they were the biggest events in the world. The kids appreciated it, as did most of their nieces and nephews. When no one would celebrate the small victories, they could rely on Clover to give them that they wanted.

Now it was his turn to celebrate with Qrow. The kids were going to Tai’s house where Ruby offered to entertain them for an overnight at Tai’s house, for which Tai was more than happy to have them. 

Then Clover pulled out all of the stops. He planned a nice homemade dinner as well as every wedding year anniversary tradition there was. For the fourth year he made no exceptions. He prepared fruit to go with dessert, green and blue linen used for the tablecloth and silk shirts to be delivered for them to both wear for dinner, as well as flowers, with hydrangeas in the arrangement, to be placed as the centerpiece, and a small blue topaz added to a pair of earrings that he would be giving to Qrow during dinner. And as luck would have it, their coffee pot had burned out on them that week, so he was able to buy the replacement appliance as part of the tradition for their four year anniversary too. 

Qrow took all of it in stride and actually seemed to appreciate the extra effort. Each year was a surprise for him since he wasn’t as aware of the traditions and shares with Clover how much he enjoys the small surprises that Clover gifts him each year. Clover still couldn’t get over how much he loved seeing Qrow melt at all of his thorough planning and attention to detail. By the time they finished dinner, Clover was a puddle because Qrow had learned how to dish the compliments back at Clover like a pro.

They would always wind up on the couch talking and then having dessert and feeding it to each other. It always led to other things and that was Clover’s favorite part. Qrow never let Clover’s efforts go to waste by making this night special by returning the favor and Clover was always hungry for it. It never failed to amaze him just how much affection that this man had for him after all of these years together. He had just as much affection for Qrow but he always let Qrow lead because it was Qrow’s way of contributing to the celebration. Qrow may not have been good about stating his affection, but he was excellent at showing or sharing affection without words. That was Clover’s favorite part of this evening, as Qrow always found a way to play with the Clover’s ring at some time showing and not talking about what Clover meant to him. He always did this since the day he placed the ring on Clover’s finger.

Clover could not have asked for a better husband and family. And as much as he loved celebrating with everyone, this was his favorite celebration. He could not find a better person or way to celebrate than with Qrow. And even when they were regularly intimate with each other, this night was always special and held so much more emotion and Clover wouldn’t change it for the world.

The morning after was also nice, since they got to sleep in and snuggle, which was a rare occasion with three kids in their house. It never failed that the morning snuggles led to other things and it seemed that they both enjoyed this additional intimacy which was almost a once a year event, as there was never time in the morning without the kids. 

But after they finally got up and out of bed to get on with the day, they had a hard time letting go of each other, constantly touching and holding onto each other, extending the intimacy as long as they could, like a memory that they didn’t want to forget. They didn’t mind kissing in front of the kids but there was something about having the whole house to themselves where they could say whatever they wanted and not have to censor themselves.

But then the kids came back home and life returned to normal. Clover learned how much he loved his family and wouldn’t want to change it for the world. But he would secretly love his anniversary as his favorite day of the year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you didn't know, the very first fic for Fair Game (Qrow/Clover) on AO3 was posted on November 16, 2019. So it felt a little serendipity to write about Clover's favorite day celebrating his anniversary. 
> 
> Thank you All for following me on my second journey through prompt writing. This was fun, even if difficult at times. But it makes me realize just how much I can accomplish and how quickly if I choose to focus and get it done. 
> 
> Looking forward to getting back to some of my other ongoing stories. 
> 
> Stay safe everyone. See you later.


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